Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind
by Huskers35
Summary: Sequel to BT: Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione struggle to fill their roles in the two prophecies. Time is growing short and the finally battle looms. Who will decide where and when it takes place? Will the foursome find the key to Harry's victory in time?
1. Ambushed In A Good Way

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 1 Ambush

"Oy, watch it, Alicia."

"Sorry, George, I can barely tell you two apart in the light much less the dark."

"Don't be getting to friendly with my boyfriend there, Alicia," Angelina grumpily remarked, from the other side of the closet.

"You're the one who came in here first, Angelina. How did you end up in the wrong corner with Fred?" Alicia snapped back at her.

"Here, George, give me back my girl," Fred Weasley hissed, shoving Angelina towards his twin.

"Quiet all of you," George snarled as he pulled Angelina to him. _"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"_ he muttered, waving his wand over the Marauders Map. "Good thing you two finally found this in Ginny's and Harry's new bedroom," he remarked to the girls.

"I can't believe she has been stealing potions ingredients from Snape all year," Fred put in, with more than a trace of admiration for his baby sister in his voice.

"I can't believe that her and Harry are getting married tomorrow, along with your youngest brother and Hermione," Angelina whispered quietly.

"Do you remember the first time he caught the Snitch?" she asked a moment later

"Practically swallowed it," Alicia replied. They all shook their heads remembering back to that first match with Harry as the Gryffindor Seeker.

"He was so little," Angelina remarked.

"They all were," Alicia added. "Now look at the four of them. Getting married before they leave school, three of them tasked with defeating Voldemort." Alicia shook her head.

"Wonder when we're going to find out who the third friend that will help Harry is?" George asked after a few minutes..

"I think that Harry, Ron and Hermione already know," Fred replied. "I think it's Ginny, but they are not telling anyone because it might be too dangerous."

"Kind of like Harry not telling us everything about the first prophecy you mean?" George asked, comprehension dawning on him.

"Yeah, I think Fred is right," Angelina whispered into the dark after another minute or two of silence.

"You two are sure about Neville getting their wands switched out for those fake ones aren't you?" Alicia asked nervously.

"We better hope so," George replied. "Because if not, we're all going to be very sorry when we jump them."

"Oy," Fred replied quietly. The four of them fell silent again as they contemplated the wisdom of this little venture.

Fred and George had taken it upon themselves to plan a bachelor party for Ron. Harry had been too busy with teaching the DA and then the funk he went into when Ginny had been hurt during the Quidditch match with Ravenclaw. They had planned to tell him about it, but just let it slip instead.

The announcement that Ginny and Harry were getting married in less than a week had been one of the few times in the twins' lives that they were both left speechless. George had been leaning back in his chair when his mother told him and had fallen right out of it, as if he had been hit by a stunning spell.

Fred had shot firewhiskey out his nose, which if you have ever done with Muggle soda pop you can imagine the discomfort it causes, only this is about a hundred times worse. Not for a few minutes, but for a whole day whenever they looked at each other, all they could do was shake their heads.

Other than Dumbledore, who had always known the whole prophecy, and had been expecting it. Only a few people, namely Molly and Arthur Weasley, had begun to suspect that Harry and Ginny's feelings for each other went much deeper than the brother/sister relationship they had been displaying for the world to see. Even Remus Lupin, who claimed to have suspected something as far back as October, agreed that neither of them had expressed their true feelings to themselves, much less each other, until Harry's last night in the hospital.

It was Alicia and Angelina who decided that the party was going to change after the announcement. It was going to be a Ball and Chain, party now, with all four guests of honor suffering the humiliation that only very good friends and family are allowed to dish out. The Room of Requirement made things very easy as far as decorating and providing food and drinks, though Fred and George had taken it upon themselves to liven up the punch a bit.

Fred jumped; as someone knocked on the door to the closet three times, paused, and then once more rapped the door.

"Oy, that's the signal from Neville that he got their wands," he whispered.

"Let's just hope none of them are up to wandless magic tonight," George remarked dryly, as he watched the little symbol of Neville walk away from their hiding spot, heading to the Room of Requirement.

"Do you see them moving yet?" Alicia asked. George studied the map for a minute.

"Yeah, it looks like they just got up from the table. Wands ready," he ordered quietly. The four of them tensed as they waited for Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny to reach the closet.

"Now!" George hissed throwing the door open. The four of them burst out of the closet hurling binding spells at the two couples. Their victims had their wands out instantly.

_"Protego!"_ they screamed together.

_"Silencio!"_ Fred, George, Alicia, and Angelina cried out.

"Nice chicken, Harry," George cackled, at what had been the wand in Harry's hand.

"Oh Ronald, flowers, for me?" Alicia squealed at him as she walked over to take them from him. She planted a big kiss on his cheek leaving a very red set of lips imprinted on him. "I don't think Hermione is going to like that very much," she teased him. Angelina walked over and took the bouquet of flowers that Ginny was holding and gave her Harry's rubber chicken.

"Harry was supposed to get this one. You really can't get good help these days; remind me not to pay Neville, will you sweetheart," she said to Ginny while planting a big kiss on Harry's cheek, leaving him with a set of pink lips. Harry and Ron both turned crimson, while Hermione and Ginny's eyes went wide in shock, as they watched Angelina and Alicia flirting with their respective fiancés. They were both playing it up rather well, causing both Harry and Ron to shift uncomfortably under the suggestive whisperings occurring in their ears.

"Come now, Ginny, Hermione, you didn't really think we would let these two get away without a party of some kind on their last night of freedom," Fred remarked as he carelessly flicked his wand at the girls, transfiguring both of their shirts.

If Harry could have laughed he would have. Ginny and Hermione were now wearing white t-shirts with the words, THE OLD BALL AND CHAIN, written across the front. Ginny and Hermione, particularly Hermione, he could tell were furious.

"Since you two think it's so funny," George said offhandedly to Harry and Ron.

"I think it is time we established who wears the pants in your houses," Fred finished, waving his wand at Harry and then Ron. Ron's eyes went wide as he felt a cool breeze blowing over his lower legs. Harry felt the same thing happen to him and looked down to see that both he and Ron were now wearing skirts that were cut just above the knee. Harry felt his face flushing in horror, Ron had gone white, but now Hermione and Ginny were the ones who looked like they were about to keel over laughing.

"Oh, I don't know about those, Fred." Angelina remarked eyeing the skirts Ron and Harry were wearing in disapproval.

"I agree, Angelina. I think they are much too long. Don't you, Hermione?" Alicia asked while running her wand about mid way up Ron's thigh. "Maybe about here don't you think?" Ron's eyes opened even wider as he watched the expression on Hermione's face.

"What about you, Ginny, how much leg do you want to see?" Angelina teased into Harry's ear. Harry felt her wand run across his leg considerably higher than where Alicia's had on Ron. Harry joined Ron in struggling fiercely to get loose from the binding spells now. Hermione shook her head no at Alicia. Ron breathed a sigh of relief, only to have Alicia move her wand higher on his leg and see Hermione nod in agreement.

"Just above mid thigh it is, then," Angelina said brightly. Harry felt the skirt shorten on his legs. It was impossible for him to turn any redder than he was. He just thanked Merlin no one else had come out of the great hall yet.

"Nice legs, Potter, Weasley," Alicia chided them as she levitated the four of them and started moving them down the hallway. Alicia marched her four victims into the Room of Requirement to the cheers of the whole of the DA, minus Hagrid who had begged out of the party. She set them down on top of the table in the middle of the room. George released them from the silencing spells a moment later.

"Fred and George Weasley, if you don't get this shirt off of me right now you're going to wish you were wearing those skirts!" Hermione hissed at them the moment she could speak. George looked at Fred, who shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"If you say so, Hermione," George flicked his wand at the still trussed up girl, who realizing what she had just said flushed in horror.

"No, don't you dare!" she shrieked at him. Ron's mouth dropped to the floor as Hermione's shirt was changed into a bikini top. The whole crowd roared in laughter, even Ginny was trying to stifle a grin until she realized that she too was wearing a bikini top. Harry found himself trying to avert his eyes, very unsuccessfully. Ginny caught it in a blink.

"I suppose you like this don't you, Potter," she growled at him. Harry tried to wipe the smile off his face, but failing miserably commented a moment later.

"Well now that you ask, yeah I don't mind."

"Is that a fact?" Ginny replied eyeing him like a lion about to pounce on its next meal. "Alicia, I don't think that skirt is short enough for Harry." Harry blanched as Ginny smiled smugly at him before continuing.

"It's kind of loose too. Maybe you could make it cling to his hips a little tighter. As long as you're at it, why don't you get Ron's also. I think Hermione might like that."

"I like the way she thinks," Alicia said grinning and raised her wand at the two guys again.

"No wait," Ron panicked, "George, put the shirts back on them, plain ones without any words."

"Always a downer that boy," George said shaking his head in disgust before flicking his wand, turning Ginny and Hermione's shirts back into what they had started the evening with.

"Thank you, Ronald," Hermione breathed gratefully.

"You did look good you know," Ron mumbled to her. This comment brought a cheer from the assembled DA. Hermione held Ron's eyes for a moment, then flushing red she looked away from him.

"Is there any chance you're going to give me a pair of pants instead of this skirt?" Ron asked Angelina a moment later.

"Depends," she replied.

"On what?" Harry asked.

"That you four will agree not to break out of the binding spell until we have properly prepared you for your wedding day," George answered. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny regarded the DA warily.

"I don't know, Hermione. I kind of like the legs," Ginny remarked as she licked her lips and eyed Harry again.

"Watch it, Gin, or you'll be back in a bikini top," Harry snapped at her.

"I never said I wanted out of it. That was Ron's idea," Ginny replied grinning at him.

"Ginny Weasley, if your mother…." Hermione started.

"What my mother doesn't know won't hurt her," Ginny interrupted.

"Enough, I don't need to hear this from my baby sister," Fred yelped, waving his wand at Harry and Ron giving them a pair of pants again.

"Fred, I do believe that Ginny is much more trouble than we have ever been," George commented.

"Harry, you have our condolences," Fred remarked. Harry didn't really hear them; he was too busy trying to control his raging hormones under the looks he was getting from Ginny. Ginny blew him a kiss and then turned her attention to Bridgette as she climbed up on the table with Cho close behind her. 

"So do you agree to our terms of being properly humiliated?" she asked as the two of them moved in front of Hermione. Hermione sighed in resignation.

"Considering our position at the moment we don't have much choice."

"Good, drink up then," Bridgette said tipping the cup to Hermione's mouth. Hermione, who still had her hands bound, had no choice but to drink or have the punch spilled all over her. The crowd started to cheer as she downed the whole glass. Harry watched as Hermione's eyes opened wide in surprise.

PHHLAAT, Hermione spit the last mouthful out and started coughing in fits.

"What's in that?" she shrieked a moment later.

"Firewhiskey," Fred replied jovially from the floor. Ron and Harry's eyes bugged out of their heads again.

"Oh, no you don't," Ron said as he tried to turn away from Cho.

"Drink it or wear it, Ronald," Cho said as she tipped the cup in front of him. Ron drank, again the cheers of the crowd started, chanting his name as he drank the punch down. Ron finished the last swallow, and shook his head once.

"That's not half bad," he said with a grin, kind of warms you up, doesn't it?" Hermione looked at him incredulously. Harry heard all of this, but didn't register it, as his throat was on fire from the concoction pouring down it.

Sputtering and coughing a second latter, he watched in amazement as Ginny drank it down without so much as a blink, licked her lips and asked if they had bothered to spike hers or if they were going easy on her because she was a year younger than the other three.

"Ginny, you have to be the naughtiest girl I have ever met," Hermione said quietly next to her. Five rounds later, Harry had to agree with Hermione. His insides were burning, and his face was flushed. He thought he would have trouble standing if he wasn't being held up with the binding curse, and he wasn't sure if his first name was Harry or Potter anymore.

Ron, he thought, was doing alright; he was mostly just standing there, quietly gazing at Hermione. Hermione looked about the same as Harry felt, but Ginny, other than being really happy seemed totally unaffected. George had even double checked the glasses that she was being forced to drink.

"How can she do that?" Fred asked when George had confirmed that there was indeed firewhiskey in her glass. The two of them shrugged their shoulders at each other and regarded their younger sister warily.

"I think it's time for a little truth or dare now," Cho called out, climbing back up on the table. She had four boxes with her and was, Harry thought, slightly fuzzy. There will be two rounds for each of you. You must pick dare and truth one time each just so you know. Dare will be opening the box with you're name on it. Truth will have you answering a question that was determined ahead of time by the group for you. After each turn, which I'm sure will be exhausting and make you very thirsty; Bridgette will have some more punch for you." This last comment brought another cheer form the DA and caused Harry's stomach to lurch.

_We don't want any more punch,_ the voices said to him. They sounded kind of funny to Harry, like they were calling to him through a dense fog.

_Quiet, which one do you want to do first, truth or dare?_ he asked them.

_Truth, we might still be able to lie coherently if the question is not one we want to answer,_ they replied.

"Harry, you're up first," Cho said brightly.

"Truth," Harry replied. If the voices had sounded like they were a long way off, he thought the actual sound of his voice seemed very loud.

"We don't believe that you and Ginny just got together. When did you first declare your love to her?" Harry smiled, that was not such a bad question.

"I realized that Ginny was the one, the night I came up with the _Phoenix charm_. Though I think I had started to figure it out before then. But we're telling the truth about my last night in the hospital. That was the first time either of us said anything."

"I told you that was a wasted question," Bridgette grumped to the group before tipping another glass to Harry's lips. Cho turned to Hermione now.

"Hermione, you're up."

"Truthhh."

"We want to know what physical feature about Ron boils your blood." Bridgette said loudly

_Whew, glad we didn't get that one,_ the voices said to Harry as he watched both Ron and Hermione turn red. Which considering the effect of the firewhiskey was saying something. Hermione struggled fiercely, her face contorting with effort as she tried not to answer the question. Finally she could resist no more.

"His chest," she squeaked.

"Let's here it for veritaserum," George yelled as the cat calls in the room reverberated in Harry's ears.

"You didn't?" Ron stammered at the twins, as Harry watched Hermione cursing loudly at them. Her words were cut off as Bridgette started pouring another glass of punch down her throat.

"Course we did little bro, why do you think no one else is drinking that stuff," Fred replied.

"Best part is, now you're all too drunk to even think about doing magic without your wands," George added to them.

"Ronald, it's your turn to pick truth or dare," Cho said to him teasingly.

"I'm goin kill two you," Hermione slurred at Fred and George. Ron looked like he was going to try and get out of picking either by not answering at all.

"Go head Ron," Harry stammered at him. "Can be all tha bad." Ron glared at him and then Cho. It didn't look like they were going to get anywhere until Bridgette stepped up with her face right in front of him.

"You could always get out of it by kissing me again," she called out loudly. Ron blanched and quickly blurted out his choice.

"Dare."

"Wise choice, Ronald," Hermione grumbled. "For both of you," she added a second later.

"Oh boy, we have a winner," Cho said as she picked up a box from the pile. She unwrapped it making a big show out of pulling a pair of silk boxer underwear from the box they were bright red with the words, **Property of Hermione Granger "Weasley**," inked on the back of them. Cho held them up in front of Ron and the crowd howled.

"Here, Hermione," she said with a flick of her wrist and Ron's shirt was gone. "Give you a better idea of what they will look like." Ron was absolutely purple as people fell over each other laughing at his and Hermione's reaction. Harry and Ginny were laughing now also, it was really too funny not to especially when they were quite drunk. Bridgette poured another glass of firewhiskey punch down Ron's throat and gave him back his shirt. Harry felt himself cringe as Cho turned to Ginny for the first time.

"I guess that leaves you to make your first choice, Ginny."

"Dare," Ginny replied without hesitating. It looked like she might finally be starting to feel the effects of the punch now as her face was flushed a warm pink that had Harry longing to be alone with her.

Cho made another great show of unwrapping Ginny's package. Pulling out a very short night gown that was definitely not going to hide much of anything, she held it up to Ginny, who while blushing furiously stared directly at Harry.

_**"Like it?"**_ Harry heard her voice in his head.

_**"Ginny?"**_ Harry asked in shock sending a thought back to her.

_**"I think I'm drunk, Potter."**_

_**"Me too, Gin,"**_ Harry replied. _**"Yeah, Gin, I like it,"**_ he added silently to her a moment later, as he watched Bridgette give Ginny another glass of punch.

"I guess that leaves us with a dare for you then doesn't it, Harry," Cho said as she began to unwrap his package. Harry cringed as a second pair of red silk boxer shorts were held up in front of him the word, **Tasty**, written across the front.

"Guess we better give Ginny a good look too," Bridgette yelled loudly and with a flick of her wrist, Harry was missing his shirt. She then poured another glass of punch into his mouth, but went a little fast, causing it to pour down his chin onto his chest and stomach. "Oops, maybe we can get Ginny to clean that up for us," she teased.

"Or maybe we should get it for her," Cho remarked as she toweled off Harry's chest. "Ginny looks like she might not be able to control herself if she gets to close to Harry right now." Harry couldn't help laughing. He was already as red in the face as he could get and the look Ginny was giving Cho and Bridgette as they cleaned up the mess they had made of him was too much for him.

"Yuck it up, Potter," Ginny said glaring at him before breaking into a naughty smile. "Make sure you leave some of that for me you two," she shot at Cho and Bridgette.

"Oh, I think there is plenty of man for you to share, Ginny," Bridgette teased her. She and Cho moved to either side of Harry leaning in close to his ears and blowing on them. They each slid a hand up into his hair messing it up even more than it already was while they played the fingers of their other hand across his stomach and chest. Ginny's mouth dropped open and then closed quickly as she recovered from their attempts to make her jealous. Harry, starting to feel very uncomfortable with the attentions of two of the four girls he had kissed in his life tried to direct their attention elsewhere.

"Isn time for to pick on Mione now?" he slurred hurriedly at them. They both sighed and tossed a last look at Ginny. She just laughed at them.

"Oh I suppose." Cho smiled at him before turning to Hermione. She was really getting good at making a show of opening the packages, either that or Harry was really getting to be way beyond drunk now. He tried to avoid looking at Hermione, not wanting in his inebriated state to have a picture form in his mind of what she might look like in whatever Cho pulled out of the box. Instead he focused on Ron, and judging by his reaction and the renewed cat calls from the DA he was glad not to see what came out of the box.

"Oh and look what else we have here." Cho said brightly. Harry couldn't help looking at her. She was holding up a book, Harry tried to focus on the title but his head was swimming too much to do it.

"Now, Hermione, we all know how terrible with women Ron really is, and we thought about getting this for him. But none of us were sure he knew how to read, and we also know that you already do all his reading for him and then tutor him. We figured this shouldn't be any different. So, we have a copy of, _Dr. Ruth's Guide to Pleasing Your Spouse_, for you." Harry roared with laughter as he watched Hermione standing there with her eyes closed muttering under her breath.

"Think that's funny do you, Potter?" He shut his mouth quickly when Bridgette spoke up.

_Uh-oh,_ the voices said to him. She laughed as she pulled another copy of the book out of a bag and gave it to Ginny.

"Here you go, Ginny. Harry is not much better than Ron and this is one time we thought it best if Hermione were not giving private lessons to both of them."

"Here you go, Hermione," Cho said as she brought up another glass of punch for her. Hermione turned white shaking her head at her.

"No more please, Cho," she pleaded with her.

"Oh yes, if I had to drink it so do you, Hermione," Harry shouted at her. As the pace at which they were be forced to drink had slowed, he found himself feeling a little less queasy now. Hermione shot him a look but started drinking as she was about to wear the glass of punch.

"Ronald, we want to know what feature of Hermione's is your favorite," Cho said turning to him. Ron smiled.

"I have to pick just one?" he asked.

"No, you can give us more if you want," Bridgette replied. Harry watched as Ron locked his eyes with Hermione's and spoke directly to her as if no one else was in the room.

"I love the way she forces me to study, that she is smarter than I am. I love her curly brown hair and the smile that only I get. I love that she demands I be better than I am. I still can't believe that she loves me, when she could have anyone she wanted to." Harry saw the light begin to dance in Hermione's eyes and then he saw the smile that Ron was talking about. He recognized it because Ginny had shown it to him quite a few times over the last week.

"When did he become such an eloquent git?" Fred asked his twin.

"Right about the time Hermione got a hold of him," George replied in disgust. Ron's words seemed to have sobered Hermione some because she was able to get her next sentence out without slurring her words.

"Is there any chance you will let me out of this binding spell now?" she asked, as Ron was forced to down his last glass of punch. Fred waved his wand at her, and Hermione walked unsteadily across the table to Ron. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear.

"What you fail to see, Ronald is that you could have anyone you wanted and I still can't believe you picked me." She then kissed him deeply before settling down on the table in front of him. People watched her display in surprise. Ron and Hermione were both very reserved in front of other people with their feelings for each other. They might hold hands or be caught staring at each other, but they very rarely displayed more than that in front of even their closest friends, much less this large of a group of people.

"That's the first time I think I've seen them really kiss," Cho remarked quietly before turning to Ginny.

"Ginny, we would like to know, well mostly Bridgette and I, because we only saw the potential. Just how good of a kisser is Harry?"

_Oh bugger,_ the voices in Harry's head remarked as he saw a smile come over Ginny's face.

"If you let us out of these binding spell, I'll show you, and you can judge for yourself if he is any good." Harry felt his face heating again and his pulse quickened as Bridgette smiled smugly at him. She flicked her wand at Harry and Ginny.

Ginny walked quickly across the table to him, her hand came to the back of his neck and pulled his mouth to hers. Ginny's tongue played across his lips parting them as she searched for his response. A moment latter when Harry allowed her entrance his knees nearly buckled at the heat coming from her. He was vaguely aware of the cat calls starting up, led of all people by Hermione.

Harry struggled to keep some sense of control over the situation, as he was well aware of the fact that he was being snogged senseless by Ginny while three of her brothers looked on with their jaws on the floor. Finally, Ginny broke away from him.

"Very nice, Potter," she whispered quietly while gazing into his eyes. Harry was lost until Bridgette and Cho smacked him in the arm.

"What's the matter there lover boy," Cho teased him

"Really, Harry, you'd think she was a goddess or something," Bridgette added laughing at him.

"Oy, get your hands of my sister," Fred said punching his arm.

"Blimey, Harry, at least wait until you're married before subjecting us to that," George added giving him a shove from the other side.

"You're the ones who got us drunk, gave us veritaserum and then asked me how good of a kisser he was," Ginny said biting at Harry's lip again as she pressed herself into him.

"Oy, knock it off," Fred yelped.

"We got out voted on that question," George replied.

"Yeah, we wanted to ask you something a little less….eye opening," Fred added with a grin at Ginny when she finally turned her attention away from trying to kiss Harry to her brothers.

"This was much more fun," Ginny replied.

"Quiet, I don't want to hear it," George snapped.

"Hey is there any chance of me getting out of this binding spell?" Ron asked, breaking into the discussion. Bridgette waved her wand at Ron, who immediately sat down on the table next to Hermione.

"Hi, Love," she said, smiling brightly at him. "Why are there three of you, Ronald?"

"Whoo boy is she sloshed," George remarked.

"Well get her some more," Fred said grinning at his twin. Hermione turned white again.

"Sorry, Hermione, but you can drink or go back in the binding curse," Alicia said handing her a glass and then giving one to Ron, Ginny and Harry. Hermione looked at the glass considering for a moment or two and then downed it in one gulp. The three of them followed her lead.

"Such good sports, I think they deserve a reward," Angelina called out. "Neville, Luna, you want to bring forward our last gifts for the night?" Neville and Luna carried two, rather large, fairly flat packages forward.

"Ok you four. Stand up again," Hermione and Ginny both glared at George. "Or maybe just sit there, where everyone can see you." He changed his mind. "Everyone gather round," he called to the group. The DA moved in close to the two young couples. Neville handed one package to Hermione, and Luna handed the other to Ginny.

"We've picked on you all night now, and I guess it's about time we gave you something serious," Neville said to them.

"We all wanted to say how right we think you are for each other. And to let you four know how much we appreciate what you have done for us functioning as our teachers over the last two years," Luna added, her normal dreamy tone gone, replaced with one of deep admiration and respect.

"We hope that these tokens of our gratitude will remind you of our love for you when you have lost your youth and are preparing for what Professor Dumbledore calls the next great adventure," Bridgette added

"If ever there was one soul living in four people. You are the ones it exists in," Cho finished the speech for the group.

"Go ahead and open them," Fred urged. Ginny and Hermione pulled the wrappings off the packages. They were identical pictures of all the DA members from that year. The frames were inscribed.

**HERMIONE GRANGER (WEASLEY) OUR HEART AND CONSCIENCE  
GINEVRA (GINNY) WEASLEY (POTTER) OUR HEART AND FIRE  
RONALD WEASLEY OUR HEART AND GENERAL  
HARRY POTTER OUR HEART AND SWORD  
MAY WE BE YOUR ARMOR AS YOU LEAD US TO VICTORY  
AND MAY YOU KNOW PEACE AFTER THE BATTLE IS WON  
DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY  
HOGWARTS 1997**

Harry didn't know what to say as he looked at Ron and Hermione and then Ginny. Both girls had tears in their eyes, and his own were stinging with more wetness than normal. Even Ron seemed to be deeply effected, with his eyes shining quite brightly.

"You and Ginny sent us scrambling when Mum told us," Fred said quietly from behind them.

"Alicia and Angelina decided we needed to change the party to include all four of you," George added.

"Bridgette decided we needed one serious gift for each couple," Cho said quietly. "She was the one who got the picture from Colin and had the inscription put on the frames."  
The four of them sat there looking at the pictures and this group of friends, who were more of an extended family for quite some time.

"How did you know I was the third friend, Bridgette?" Ginny asked softly.

"It was a guess. But really who else could it have been? Even if you and Harry didn't fall in love, you're the only one who can reach into him and make him respond, Ginny. You did it to me, you do it to all of us." Ginny climbed down off the table and stood up a little unsteadily.

"Careful there, Gin." Bridgette said as she helped her catch her balance.

"You're right, Bridgette, I am the third friend," Ginny said to her as she hugged her. Harry joined them a second later followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Thank you, all of you," Harry said loudly for everyone to hear as he broke out of the embrace.

"Yes, thank you doesn't begin to say what we feel right now," Hermione added, swiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"Oy, come on this is a party now," Fred started in

"Yeah enough of the sappy stuff, someone get the other punch out, the stuff without veritaserum in it," George added.

"Definitely, the guests of honor are starting to sober up. We can't have that, now can we?" Fred kept going. Harry heard the Wizard Wireless Network start up and a fast song start playing. Ginny grabbed Ron by the hand and pulled him up on the table.

"Come on, Ron. Dance with your sister."

"Hey what about me?" Harry called to her.

"I have to dance with you the rest of my life, Potter. Dance with Hermione," Ginny teased him.

"Yes, Potter," Hermione said grabbing him around the neck. "It is your job as best man to dance with the bride." Harry grinned at her, and with that the party was in full swing.


	2. Weddings

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 2 Weddings

Ron opened his eyes the morning of his and Harry's wedding day and immediately closed them again. The room was spinning in circles, and the wind blowing by the open window seemed to be howling like a tornado.

"Harry you awake?" he asked and instantly regretted it, the noise of his own voice thundering in his head.

"No, Ron, I'm dead now shut it," Harry replied barely above a whisper. "My head is killing me," he added a moment later.

"Does the room spin when you open your eyes?" Ron asked after a minute.

"Quit yelling," Harry hissed at him.

"You quit yelling," Ron replied angrily.

"I'm going to kill your brothers," Harry whispered after a short pause.

Ron sat up very slowly on the edge of his bed. Holding his head in his hands, he groaned at the change in position. "Let's start with Neville. He's the one who stole our wands," he said. 

"Where do you suppose he hid them?" Harry asked as he crawled across the floor and began to search through the pile of dirty clothes at the foot of Neville's bed. Ron joined him after a few seconds.

"Here they are," Harry said as he reached into a pocket on Neville's robes and felt the familiar warmth of his wand in his hand he pulled it out along with three others that were cold to him. Just the feel of his wand had caused the pain in his head to subside enough that the room wasn't spinning on him anymore. Harry handed Ron his and Hermione's wand, putting Ginny's in his own pocket.

"Wow that feels a little better," Ron whispered quietly, while staggering to his feet. He held his hand out to Harry to help him up.

"What should we do with him?" Harry asked. Ron thought about it Harry was sure smoke was going to start pouring out of Ron's ears any second now.

"Let's levitate his bed into the showers and turn the cold water on him," Ron suggested. Harry considered the thought.

"He is going to scream bloody murder."

"Right, my head can't take that. Let's just levitate the water over his head from the pitcher like you did to me last summer. We can go down in the flat before letting it drop."

"Ok, but I need to shower, and brush my teeth. My mouth tastes like a Bertie Bott's dirty sock flavored bean," Harry replied. "Might as well get Seamus and Dean while we're at it," he added a moment later after observing their still slumbering forms on their beds.

Harry quietly closed the door to his and Ron's dormitory room. He and Ron headed down the stairs to the common room.

"Now?" Ron asked as they closed the door behind them upon entering their new flat.

"What a second," Harry replied. He then waved his wand in the direction of the dorm room. "Ok." He nodded at Ron.

"What did you do?"

"Chilling charm on the water," Harry replied. Ron grinned and cut the connection to the spell, a second later they heard the distant screams of their dorm mates as the water crashed down on them. Harry smiled at Ron, and held his hand out to him.

"That's three down and a whole bunch left." Ron smiled again and shook Harry's hand.

"It's a deal," he replied. "Where do you suppose the girls are?"

"Well, considering the state Ginny was in at the end of the night, I hope Hermione sat with her….They are going to be a mess," Harry replied, feeling worried. He did not want either of them to feel like they were not up to where they wanted to be today. They checked Harry and Ginny's room first, and then not finding the girls they looked in Ron and Hermione's. Both girls were still out cold on the bed.

"They really don't have to get up for a few hours yet. Why don't I move Ginny out here on the couch with me? That will let Hermione get a few hours of real sleep," Harry suggested.

"Sounds good to me, Mate," Ron agreed. Harry walked over to the bed, bent down and slid his arms under Ginny. Ginny stirred enough as he lifted her off the bed to wrap her arms around his neck and settle her head on his chest.

"Morning, Potter," she whispered as Harry carried her over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap.

"Go back to sleep, Gin," Harry replied quietly. "You don't have to get up for awhile yet." Ginny settled into him, her sigh of contentment melted into Harry. Ron watched Harry and Ginny for a minute shaking his head at the sight.

"You know, Harry. I always wanted her to pick you. I had given up hope that it would happen." Harry was surprised.

"Why me Ron? You hated all of her boyfriends. I thought you would kill me when you found out."

"Because Harry, you will never truly hurt her. You might have fights and get mad at each other. But you will never leave her before you die. I didn't trust anyone else to do that. That's why I never liked any of the guys she dated."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry replied, smiling at his best mate.

"I'm going to go watch my future wife sleep for a while, Harry. I'll see you in a bit."

"Alright, Ron, see you in a bit." Harry looked down at Ginny lying peacefully in his arms. He brushed the strand of hair back from her face that had always fallen when she was in the hospital wing.

Harry thought back to the day he saw her reflection in the Mirror of Erised, how shocked he had been to see her there. He had instantly known it was true, and while he stood there, he realized he had known for awhile.

He had stopped calling her little sister without realizing, sometime before then because he had stopped thinking of her that way. Even so, he had been terrified. Hermione, while he had loved her, he realized he never had a chance with. That unconscious knowledge had allowed him to pursue her.  
Bridgette, he had been unable to deny because he couldn't deny the truth that he cared for her. She had asked for a chance, and even though he was unsure if it would amount to much, he couldn't lie to her and tell her he didn't think it was possible at the time. If she had been right for him, he would have stayed with her.

Harry now understood that he was not capable of flat out lying, even if it protected someone. If it had been Ginny who stood in front of him at the lake that January day, he would have caved into her then. What he was capable of was not bringing up the subject himself, so like the voices told him that night in front of the mirror, he buried it. Deeper than anything he had ever felt for Hermione.

He had hoped Ginny wouldn't notice the change, that even if she did she would say nothing. He had hoped the crush was gone, that she had stopped calling him Big Brother was just coincidence. He now knew he should have known better. When she had sat on his bed that night in the hospital, less than a week ago and demanded an answer from him. She had made it impossible for him to tell her no.

The one person, who truly knew what Voldemort could do to her, loved him so much that she was willing to risk that pain again to hold him. He caved to the truth, and now prayed that he could show her the same love and devotion, because if he had to look in her eyes and know that he had failed her, Harry knew his heart would stop beating that very moment. Harry was brought out of his thoughts by Ginny beginning to stir in his lap.

"Hello, Potter," she whispered snuggling into him tighter.

"Morning, Gin, are you feeling ok?"

"My head is killing me."

"Here take this," Harry said giving her, her wand.

"That feels good," Ginny murmured into his neck as her hand closed on the wand.

"Harry do you remember the morning after you created the _Phoenix charm_….When you said it doesn't hurt you to sit with me at night like it does Ron and Hermione?"

"Yeah, Gin, I do."

"Did you really mean that? Or were you trying to make me feel better?"

"I meant it, Gin. It doesn't affect me. I sleep better next to you than I do alone." Ginny smiled at him while brushing the side of his face with her hand.

"Harry, I dream when I sleep next to you. Not the bad dreams, normal dreams, happy ones, sad ones, everything in between. I don't have any dreams when Ron or Hermione sit with me." Harry lifted Ginny's chin with his hand.

"I'm glad, Ginevra Weasley," he said kissing her forehead.

"Do you love me, Potter?"

"Yes, Gin, I love you."

"Harry, do you believe the prophecy is real, that we will spend eternity together?"

"Yes, Gin, I do."

"That's good, Potter, because if you try to get out of it you will be very sorry." Harry laughed at her. "Not so loud, Potter," Ginny said wincing at the noise.

"Here, Gin, let me try something. Sit down on the floor between my legs." Ginny looked at him.

"But I like it here," she pouted.

"Trust me; I think you will like this too." Ginny sighed and moved to the floor.

"There, now lean your head back on this pillow."

"Potter, that is divine," Ginny moaned a few minutes later as Harry's fingers massaged her head, neck and shoulders.

"It works?" Harry asked quietly.

"Oh yes," Ginny whispered in reply. Harry continued to massage her head in silence until Ron and Hermione came out of the bedroom quite awhile later.

"That looks nice," Hermione commented.

"Get your own, Hermione, this one is mine," Ginny sighed contentedly. Harry laughed quietly at her again. Hermione looked at her a moment then turned to Ron.

"Sit down, Ronald," she said as she sat on the floor next to Ginny.

"Your wish is my command," Ron mocked her and then started to rub her head for her.

"Mmmmm, that is nice. Who came up with this?"

"Harry did," Ginny replied. They both sat quietly for a while letting Harry and Ron work on their hangover induced headaches.

"So what are we going to do to get revenge on those git brothers of ours?" Ginny asked.

"We'll," Ron replied, "Harry and I already got Neville back for stealing our wands. We added Seamus and Dean in just for the heck of it. I'm sure we can think of something." They sat quietly together for some time before Harry heard a timid voice behind them.

"Would sirs and their young misses like some breakfast today?"

"Dobby, please come around here so we can see you," Hermione replied quietly to him.

"Dobby, in this house you are equal with the witches and wizards," Ginny said to him, when the elf had moved in front of them. Harry may pay you to serve him but he is not a master to you. Nor are any of the rest of us. You are free to stand in front of us and look us in the eye when you speak to us."

"Dobby understands, Miss Ginny.

"Good," Ginny replied smiling at the elf. Dobby beamed at her and the others in turn.

"Should Dobby get breakfast then?"

"Just toast and juice today, Dobby. It was a rough night," Hermione said to him.

"Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir?"

"Do you know anything that will help with a hangover?" Dobby's eyes grew wide and a huge smile came over his face.

"Dobby knows just the thing, sir."

"We could use four of whatever it is," Harry said to the elf.

"Yes, sir, Harry Potter, sir, Dobby will bring it with your breakfast." And then, before anyone could stop him Dobby raised his hand and snapped his fingers disapparating with an abnormally loud pop.

"Argh, I'm going to kill Bridgette. She was the one pouring that stuff down our throats last night," Ron groaned.

The great hall had been through an amazing transformation in the hours since last night's leaving feast and the wedding ceremony that was about to take place. Gone were the house banners of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw that had been hung in honor of the houses winning the house cup and quidditch cup respectively for the year.

Now, there were huge white tapestries hanging from the ceiling which in its bewitched state, was blazing with the warm sun and fluffy white clouds that reflected the actual conditions outside the castle. Hundreds of cream and red roses hung in large bouquets around the hall. Large candles sat in the holders all around the hall waiting to light it as day turned to night and the festivities of the day went along.

The two middle of the house tables had been banished from the hall clearing room for a dance floor. The head table, along with the two tables along the outside walls, was set with Hogwarts finest china and crystal glasses. Bowls of punch and platters of hors'douvres waited to be consumed by the guests who were now beginning to arrive and claim their seats.

The wall behind each table had been enchanted with a mural of the Dark Forest. And the different creatures that lived in it moved through the scene. Most notable of animals on the left wall, as you looked to the head table, were the large male lion and female lioness that were chasing each other all through the woods. On the other wall, a huge image of a Hungarian Horntail dragon lounged lazily by the lake, short bursts of flames shooting from its nostrils with each breath. The head of the dragon turned on its long neck allowing emerald green eyes to follow every movement of the blazing red phoenix that floated through the air all around the great beast.

The sound of the phoenix song filled the air of the hall with its enchanting melody. Seemingly drowning out all other sounds and bringing a quiet peaceful calm as the crowd began to swell. The smell of grilled meats, fresh baked bread, and puddings wafted into the hall from the kitchen below, tantalizing the taste buds of the early arrivals with the promise of what was to come.

The guest list for Ron and Hermione's wedding was quite large when all of the people Arthur Weasley worked with at the Ministry had been added to the members of the Order of the Phoenix, various Weasley and Granger family members and the members of the DA. Now, Ron and Harry stood in a room off to the side of the great hall peering through the door way at their swelling ranks; both of them growing more nervous by the moment at the sight of all of the witches and wizards dressed in their finest gowns and robes.

"I had no idea Dad knew this many people," Ron said.

"How come there are so many more than for Charlie's wedding?" Harry asked.

"Well it was Christmas. People probably had other places to be," Ron replied.

"Right, forgot about that," Harry said.

"Consider yourself lucky, Mate."

"What do you mean?"

"Mum said there were dozens of people who said they were not coming. Do you think any of them would have turned down the invitation if they knew Harry Potter was getting married today too?" Harry's face turned white at the thought of what people would do to watch him get married.

"Don't even say it, Harry," Ron said cutting him off before he could open his mouth. "Just promise to love my sister and forget about everyone else out there." Harry grinned at him.

"That, I can do, Ron."

Harry looked into the hall again just in time to see rows of chairs appear on either side of the dance floor leaving an aisle down the middle for the bridal march. The guests, herded along by the Hogwart's house elves, started to move into the chairs as the time for the ceremony grew closer. Watching the crowd carefully, Harry blinked in surprise at the sight of one guest in particular.

"What is she doing here?" he indicated towards Rita Skeeter.

"Ginny invited her," Ron replied.

"What for?" Harry asked gaping at him.

"Think about it, Harry," Ron answered. And then seeing Harry was too shocked to come up with an answer on his own he clued him in.

"It's better to have her on our side than against us. She is the only reporter here. She doesn't know why, but she knows she is being given something no one else is. If she decides to write nasty stuff about you and Ginny, then that access can be taken away and given to some other reporter." Harry grinned at how Ginny had turned a thorn in his side into a puppet that could have its strings cut in an instant.

"What am I getting myself into?" he mumbled under his breath.

"I don't know mate, but better you than me," Ron replied. They both turned as the other door to the room they were in opened.

"Oy, you two, get out there," Fred said to them.

"Honestly, let's get a move on," George added as he and his twin started to push Harry and Ron out the door into the great hall.

"Yes, some of us are looking forward to the party not the vows you know," Fred picked up.

"And the sooner you two are done making Mum bawl her eyes out, the sooner we can get to the fun part of this whole thing," George finished after he and Fred had deposited Harry and Ron at the front of the hall.

The crowd grew quite as Harry and Ron were put into position by the twins. Each of them gave the two grooms a hearty hand shake and clap on the back before moving to their seats. Harry looked around the hall full of guests and his eyes settled nervously on Hermione's mother who was sitting front and center. He gave her a feeble smile.

"Relax," she mouthed at him. Harry nodded at her and then turned to look at Ron.

"You look green."

"I can't remember my vows," Ron hissed at him. Harry felt his stomach heave.

"Now you look green," Ron said to him.

"I forgot mine now," Harry hissed back to him. Dumbledore moved into place in front of them.

"Ronald, Harry. You are ready?"

"Yes sir," they replied together both surprised at the strength in their voices.

"You and Miss Granger will exchange vows first, is that correct?"

"Yes sir," Ron replied. Dumbledore nodded and then he turned his attention to the crowd.

"For those of you who are quick of mind, you may have noticed that there are two grooms here with me. That would of course mean that we have two brides this afternoon also."

The crowd began to whisper excitedly amongst themselves at Professor Dumbledore's words. Many turned in their seats searching for a glimpse of the missing brides. Harry saw Rita Skeeter's eyes grow wide and continued to watch her as Dumbledore finished his announcement.

"Our first couple is of course Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley. Our second couple is Ginevra Molly Weasley and Harry James Potter."

Rita's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and her hand dove into her bag for a quill. The excitement of the crowd grew to a near fever pitch as guests craned their necks to get a glimpse of the famous Harry Potter. Harry scowled at the thought that most of these people would not remember that they had come to see Ron and Hermione get married, but would be only too happy to say they were in attendance when Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, got married. Ron elbowed him in the side.

"I know what you're thinking and you can just knock it off, Harry," he whispered to him.

"Thanks, Ron," Harry replied gratefully.

"This is your last chance to run you know," Dumbledore said under his breath to them while he waited for the crowd to calm down. Harry and Ron grinned back

"Not a chance sir," they replied together. Dumbledore chuckled at them.

"A wise decision, they would be most displeased with the both of you." Harry gave an involuntary shudder as a few thoughts of what Ginny would do to him if he left her standing at the altar ran through his head. Dumbledore smiled at the two of them again and then seeing that the crowd had settled down some, he motioned for the music to begin. Harry turned to watch as the doors to the hall opened. He saw his bride for the first time and his heart skipped a beat.

Ginny's dress was ivory white and strapless; it clung to her chest and stomach and fell much the same as Hermione's did from the waist down. There were two long red and green ribbons that trailed on each side from her waist down to the floor. Her hair was divided, with part pulled back into a ponytail that fell over the rest which fell freely down her back. The one lock of hair that always fell in her face, now hung delicately along her cheek. The light glinting off of it caused it to change shades continually. Her father taking her arm began to move forward with her towards Harry. As she drew near, she looked up shyly at Harry, who could only stare. Her eyes flashed brilliantly at him, when she realized he was speechless because of her appearance.

Ron's head spun; taking in Hermione in her long white gown with a strap over her left shoulder, clinging tightly around her chest and stomach then falling loosely from the waist down. Her hair spilled around her shoulders in soft ringlet curls, with sprigs of babies breath adding color to her appearance. Her arm hooked with her father's, and he began to slowly walk with her towards Ron.

"Thank you Harry," Ron whispered in awe as he remembered just how Hermione had come to be in the dress she was wearing.

Hermione felt her heart pounding with anticipation as she watched his lips move. She still couldn't believe he had found the courage to tell her he loved her, and now he stood breathless, waiting to exchange wedding vows with her. When Hermione and her father drew even with Ron the procession and music stopped.

"Who gives this woman, Hermione Granger, to be wed this day?" Dumbledore called loudly into the hall.

"Her father does," Mr. Granger replied as he walked forward and shook hands with Ron. He then placed Hermione's hand in Ron's and moved to take a seat next to his wife. Ron and Hermione moved to the side allowing Harry to move into the middle of the Hall. Mr. Weasley stepped forward with Ginny.

"Who gives this woman, Ginevra Weasley to be wed this day?" Dumbledore called into the hall again.

"Her father and her mother do," Mr. Weasley replied beaming at the Muggle tradition he was taking part in. He then stepped forward to hug Harry and placed Ginny's hand in his. Ginny gave Harry's hand a squeeze and then they parted to make room for Ron and Hermione between them.

Ron and Hermione moved into position with Harry on Ron's right, and Ginny on Hermione's left. Hermione handed her flower bouquet to Ginny, and then turned to face Ron. They crossed hands, his left in her left and her right in his right. Bridgette stepped up behind Hermione and arranged the train of her gown so that it spread across the floor in elegant waves. Harry saw her catch Ron's eye and give him a wink for encouragement before moving off to the side again.

"Each of our couples," Dumbledore began, "has chosen to combine traditions between the magic and non-magic world. What you have just witnessed is the non-magic tradition where the father of the bride gives away his daughter to the man who replaces him. It signifies the acceptance of the bride's family of her choice for a mate. We will now perform the Ceremony of Light. This will be followed by an exchange of vows which our couples have elected to write themselves. This is also a non-magic tradition. After the exchange of vows we will perform the Ceremony of the Rings of Smoke. Ronald, Hermione are you ready?"

"Yes sir," they replied together. Dumbledore waved his hand and the ceiling of the great hall changed to pitch black. The few lights in the hall were dimmed so it was almost completely dark in the hall. Harry watched intently as Professor Dumbledore began a series of incantations. As he spoke, a light began to emanate from Ron and Hermione's clasped hands. At first dim, it began to grow filling the hall with a blinding white brilliance. Harry began to squint and finally was forced to close his eyes against the light which grew to a point that he started to see little black spots on the insides of his eyelids before it faded out.

As it faded, Harry opened his eyes and looked over at Ginny.

_**"Wow!"**_ he heard her voice in his head.

_**"Yeah…"**_ Harry replied.

"Hermione you may say your vows now," Professor Dumbledore said to her, his eyes shining brightly. Hermione looked into Ron's eyes and in a voice that was calm, clear and loud, she began to speak.

"I was so thick.  
It wasn't that you didn't care.  
You fought with me for the same reasons I fought with you.  
I waited for you to say something cursing your weakness  
What was wrong with me? I could have said something too.  
I was weak. I would have accepted what I needed. It would have been enough.  
Amazing the fool you see when you look in the mirror.  
Thank God you were strong. You offered what I needed and wanted. You were always first.  
You took my heart. I have pledged you my life. I give you my soul  
With this ring, I Hermione Granger, take you, Ronald Weasley for my Husband."

"Ronald." Professor Dumbledore said quietly. Ron took a deep breath and began to speak; his voice cracked once and then became firm and loud for all to hear.

"I wake in the morning and she is in my mind.  
I wait in the common room; she left early.  
I go to breakfast; she just left for the library.  
I see her from the hallway at the table.  
Do I have a book? She won't let me stay without one.  
She is looking at me, smiling, my knees feel weak.  
What is this creature that consumes me?  
What could I offer her? It could never be enough.  
I have no choice. I will confess and lay my paltry gift at her feet.  
She finds me, she touches me, she thanks me for what I offer.  
She has a gift for me. Mine does not compare.  
My heart for hers, it is what she wanted, and more than I dreamed.  
Your heart is my strength Hermione, Your breath is my life.  
You have taken my heart and I will give you my soul.  
With this ring, Hermione Granger, I Ronald Weasley take you for my Wife."

Harry, standing behind Ron, could not see his face, but he had a clear view of Hermione, whose eyes were shining brightly with tears of joy that were starting to slip down her cheeks.

_Thank Merlin, she told us no, Ron is the only one for her,_ the voices said to him.

_And Ginny is the one for us; we were as blind as Hermione when she looked at us,_ Harry replied. Harry looked at Ginny and smiled at her. The smile that came back to him melted his knees. Harry focused back on Ron and Hermione as Professor Dumbledore began the incantations for the Ceremony of the Rings of Smoke.

Harry watched intently again as smoke began to swirl around Ron and Hermione's hands, spinning, swirling, taking shape into a circle becoming perfect and then twisting itself into the eternity symbol. Harry heard Ginny and Hermione gasp as the eternity symbol rotated slowly above Hermione and Ron's clasped hands.

"Well isn't that interesting," Professor Dumbledore remarked quietly to them, as the smoke faded into nothing. He smiled kindly at them. "Shall we see if we can't hitch your friends now?" Ron and Hermione nodded at him and stepped to the side, allowing Ginny and Harry to take their places.

Dumbledore waited a moment while Bridgette stepped in and arranged Ginny's gown for her. She leaned in and whispered something in Ginny's ear that Harry didn't catch, but caused Ginny to grin broadly. She then smiled at Harry before moving to the side again. When she had, Dumbledore spoke to Harry and Ginny.

"Shall we begin?"

"Yes Professor," they replied together, crossing their hands as Ron and Hermione had.

Hermione watched as the incantations for the ceremony of light began, and the light emanating from Harry and Ginny's clasped hands began to grow in intensity.

Harry closed his eyes and the spots began to form on his eyelids again. He didn't think it was any brighter than it had been for Ron and Hermione, just that he was closer. What he had not expected was the feeling of electricity that moved through his body similar to the pain that had surged through him when he and Ginny had performed the Blood Oath earlier that year. It had been more painful when he performed it with her than with Ron or Hermione, this wasn't pain though. He could only describe it as elation. He found that he and Ginny were involuntarily clasping their hands tighter and tighter. He was becoming concerned that he might hurt her before the light and feeling began to diminish.

Ginny thought she was close to screaming from the strength of Harry's grip when the light and sensation finally began to fade replaced by a feeling of intense contentment. She opened her eyes again and stared into the emerald green eyes that she had longed for, for so long. The eyes she had hidden from so well that she had convinced herself she didn't want him anymore, then came that night in front of the Mirror of Erised. She had not seen what Harry did the second time he looked in the mirror that day but she had looked in the mirror herself.

Ginny had seen Harry standing in front of her just like he was right now. She had not needed an explanation of what the mirror did after that. She had desperately fought the truth, thought Harry couldn't possibly feel the same about her. But it had been his voice that brought her back after the accident with Cho. It was him being in danger that had allowed her to wake up and then when she reached him, he was dead. That pain had nearly killed her. Ginny knew the second he woke up that she would tell him and risk the rejection. And now he was hers, he had looked in the mirror and he had seen her.

"Ginny, you and Harry may exchange your vows now." Professor Dumbledore broke into her thoughts. Harry smiled at her and spoke to the crowd.

"It may seem that Ginny and I got here in a hurry. The truth is we have been in love with each other for quite some time. We were just too scared to see it. Our vows are our story, so you can understand how we came here. He turned back to Ginny and nodded to her. She nodded back and took a deep breath befor begining to speak.

"Green eyes, I'm drowning," Ginny stared up into Harry's eyes.

"Red hair, my heart is burning," Harry replied, while pushing the lock of hair back from the side of Ginny's face.

"With blade, blood and oath, our lives given," they both said, as they pressed their hands together where they were scarred from the Blood Oath. Harry then turned his back on Ginny.

"All who are close to me, in danger. I built a wall," he continued.

"Fear of rejection. My love was hidden," Ginny said while turning her back on Harry. Harry then turned around to face Ginny sinking to his knees in front of her.

"On my knees, defeated, your love saved me," he said. Ginny turned around to face Harry again, reaching her hand to his chin and lifting him from his knees with her touch. She stood there a moment looking up at him then dropped her hand from his face and her eyes to the floor.

"Pain of believing you were dead, without having held you, too much to bear. I will stand here until you make me move," she said. Harry's hand reached for her chin, lifting it so their eyes met again.

"You ask me to be strong enough to love you, when you know that I am weak. I could never deny your request. In your heart is my strength. My wall is destroyed. I accept your offer and place my heart at your feet." Ginny's hand came up and reached for Harry's.

"Your heart is all I ever wanted. Your love will be my shelter. I accept what you offer. For without it, I will have never lived. I Ginevra Molly Weasley, offer myself as Wife. To you, Harry James Potter, hold me forever," she replied, while sliding Harry's ring onto his finger.

I Harry James Potter, offer myself as Husband. To you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, hold me forever," Harry answered, while sliding his mother's ring back onto Ginny's finger.

"Green eyes, I'm drowning," Ginny finished, taking Harry's left hand in her left hand

"Red hair, my heart is burning," Harry finished, brushing her hair back before taking her right hand in his again, in preparation for the Ceremony of the Rings of Smoke.

Harry watched again as the smoke began to swirl above his and Ginny's hands after Professor Dumbledore finished the incantations. It blew and twisted into a circle becoming more perfect and then twisted again into the eternity symbol. The symbol began to rotate in the air again and then suddenly turned black as thunder exploded in the hall. Harry heard people scream in surprise and felt Ginny begin to tremble. He was growing concerned when Dumbledore spoke.

"Do not be alarmed, I expected this," he said calmly to them. Harry looked at him and then Ginny. She seemed to be trembling in excitement and not concern as she watched the black smoke begin to fade.

"Sir, what is it supposed to mean?" Harry asked quietly.

"The symbol will only turn black and be followed by a clap of thunder like this when one of the two people getting married has lost their parents, Harry. It is believed that they are watching and approve of the choice that you have made. It is believed that they may have somehow saved the life of the person you are marrying, that they may also have been guiding Ginny to you in some way her whole life," Professor Dumbledore said to him.

Harry looked at him dumbstruck. He could hear people whispering excitedly in the background."

"Harry." Harry turned to look at Ginny again. "When I was in a coma in the hospital, my spirit was at the Ministry in the Death Chamber. Your mother came and stopped me from going through the veil. She also opened a door at the top of the chamber for me that allowed me to wake up," she whispered to him.

"She came to you too?" Harry asked. Ginny looked at him quizzically for a moment.

"When were you there?" she asked.

"Just before I woke up in the cemetery; with you lying on top of me." Ginny smiled at him.

"Yes, she came to me too, Husband."

"There is also supposed to be something very unique about the partner whose parents are still living," Dumbledore remarked quietly. Harry and Ginny both snapped out of the trance they had slipped into while gazing into each others eyes.

"Harry," Ron said from behind him. Harry turned to look at him. "Ginny is the first girl born into the Weasley line in more than three centuries," he said. "I remember Bill telling me about the celebration when she was born. There is no doubt in my mind after seeing your smoke symbol that your mother has something to do with Ginny standing in front of you right now." Harry blinked and turned back to Ginny.

"I guess I just beat Bridgette," Ginny smiled at him.

"I'm glad you did," Harry replied.

"Shall we continue?" Dumbledore said quietly. "Two eternity symbols in one night, many people would like to congratulate you four."

"Yes sir," Harry and Ginny replied together, as they stepped to the side, and turned to face their guests making room for Ron and Hermione to join them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I am pleased to present for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald and Hermione Weasley, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Ginevra Potter. Ronald, Harry, you may kiss your brides," Professor Dumbledore said proudly to them.

Harry turned to Ginny again and placed his lips on hers. It was all he could do not to laugh as he heard the twins cheering in the background over the fireworks they had just set off. They were followed by the rest of the crowd.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione collapsed onto the couch of their new flat in the Gryffindor tower.

"Wow, what a night," Ron said letting out a sigh of relief. Hermione snuggled up in his lap, her head on his shoulder.

"Happy, Love?" she asked. Ron turned to her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Yes, Mione, I'm beyond happy."

"You know," Harry said standing up and pulling Hermione with him, "I know I gave a speech, but I don't think I ever really congratulated either of you. And I know I did not dance with your lovely bride." Harry started to twirl Hermione around the room with him. Ron pulled Ginny off the couch to join them.

"Oddly enough I don't think I danced with yours either, Harry," Ron replied. They moved around the room together for awhile, no music, just best friends clinging to each other in the peace before the storm they all new was coming. Harry guided Hermione back to Ron and picked Ginny up in his arms.

"Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Weasely," he said to them, as he closed the door to his and Ginny's room. Harry sat on the bed with Ginny in his arms for a long time.

"Did you put the envelope on their bed, Gin?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, Husband," Ginny replied into his neck before getting up and heading to the bathroom. "I will be back shortly," she said to him.

Ron carried Hermione into their room and placed her on the bed.

"What's this?" she asked picking up the envelope.

"It has our names on it, why don't you open it?" he replied. Hermione broke the seal on the envelope, a key fell out of it along with a letter.

"It's from Harry and Ginny," she said moving next to Ron so they could read it together.  
_  
Ron and Mione:_

Ginny and I wanted to try and find a way to thank both of you for sharing your day with us. This really isn't it we both know love cannot be bought. I wondered for a long time about the two of you. If there is one thing I'm glad to have done in my life it was to force Ron's hand.

Harry and I can't tell you how much the two of you mean to us. When Harry and I finally figured out our own issues, he told me what he was planning to do for your wedding gift. As we are now married this is from both of us.

Ginny and I talked for a long time the night after we became engaged. Mostly about what we wanted to do after this war was over. We find that we don't know. We both think being an Auror or working in the Department of Mysteries would be cool, if we had not already done so.

What Harry and I are trying to say is that we may choose to do nothing for a while. Take the time to enjoy the world away from the newspaper headlines that our lives have become. We have decided that you two, who shoulder as much burden as we do, should have the right to choose also.  
Ginny and I have opened an account in both of your names at Gringots. You will find that there is enough money for you both to last you your lifetimes, regardless of how many children you might have. We don't care if you ever spend a knut of it, but we do not wish to see it ever again.

Please do not be offended by our gift, it really means nothing to either of us. What Harry and I care about is the two of you. We have all chosen the path we are on, and for now must fight, but when the time comes for peace. We want you both to be able to do what you want, and not what you must.  
We know what you are both thinking right now. Please don't try to give this back tonight, we are sleeping.

Love in blood, blade, oath and our hearts: Our lives for yours.

Harry and Ginny Potter


	3. It Begins

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 3 It Begins

Ginny woke up the morning after her wedding night laying on her side with her stomach firmly pressed into Harry's back, her arm wrapped around him, their legs entwined with each others. She had been dreaming about flying; her, Ron and Hermione with Harry in his animagus form. She had had this same dream almost every time Harry had sat with her since that first day of the Christmas Holiday this past year.

It was amazing to Ginny that she could even dream anymore. Years and years without sleeping at all and then all the nights spent sleeping next to Ron and Hermione without dreams, it had been wonderful to simply sleep, but to dream frivolous things again like a five year old child was beyond amazing.

Ginny had been thrilled when Ron and Hermione had become engaged. She had also been terrified, it left her with only Harry who understood, and he would eventually find someone and leave her too. But instead of finding someone else Harry had wanted her. Not only had he wanted her, but it didn't hurt him to sleep next to her like it did Ron and Hermione.

_What could possibly be different about him?_ Ginny asked herself for the millionth time since the night before Halloween last year.

Ginny smiled as Harry rolled over in his sleep, she could see his face now. With his eyes closed, it was the only time she didn't see the clouds that always dwelled in them. But something had changed, even in that, in just the last week. His eyes had always seemed to be disturbed to her, full of determination, but not daring to hope. Now once in awhile she would catch him watching her and they were clear. If just for the briefest moment before he shut down again. She knew what was going on behind the smile. Harry was trapped, and there was only one way out.

Ginny knew it was only a matter of time before Tom would run out of patience and attempt to kill Harry again. Something told her their next confrontation would be the last for one of them. If Tom won, she knew that her, Ron and Hermione were living on borrowed time. The last battle had brought them all to his attention, and they were all too powerful to live. Even though they did not have it in them to destroy him, Tom did not know that. To him, just like Dumbledore, they were a threat. Standing in his way of total domination and he would not abide their existence any more than he did Harry's.

Ginny knew Tom like no one else alive. She understood the first prophecy very well, better even than Harry or Dumbledore. The one part where it looked like there was a way out was impossible. It wasn't that either Tom or Harry was in danger of dropping dead on some random day because they were both alive at the same time. The problem existed because the evil that lived in Tom, could not abide any good in the world. Harry had become the first target because of the good in him and the prophecy that tied he and Voldemort together. He would be forced to fight until either he or Tom was destroyed. It was a cycle that would be repeated over and over until the end of time. Good, Ginny believed would win that last battle. She didn't see how it could be any other way. How else could she be promised a happy eternity with Harry when they both left this world?

Ginny smiled again, the battle between Harry and Tom would not be the last battle between good and evil. But it would be the end of the great evil of her lifetime. Maybe even a few generations after her would know peace. She knew Harry had the strength to win, they just needed to find the path, and the second prophecy said it was in her. Something in the scar that Tom had left in her would show Harry the weakness he could use to defeat Tom.

Ginny thought back to the battle that had occurred a little over two weeks ago now. Harry had lashed out at Tom to save her when she refused to leave him to die. Both Harry and Tom had been knocked out, but Harry had recovered first. If they had only known what the weakness was, Tom had been helpless to defend himself. He was going to be brutal beyond anything anyone had ever seen because of it.  
Ginny knew he would never admit it, but Tom Riddle, for the first time in a long time, was now scared of someone besides Albus Dumbledore. The madness that was in him was too blind to simply hide until Harry died of old age to begin his final conquest. He would seek Harry out even if it might lead to his demise. That in itself was a weakness; they needed to find a way to take advantage of it.

Ginny watched as Harry's eyes opened and he turned to her, they were clear again as he looked at her. Ginny felt her heart swelling in her chest, her face flushed as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"Good morning, Husband."

"I love you, Ginny," Harry replied as he rolled onto his side to face her. Ginny didn't reply other than to smile at him. His eyes were still clear, and she was afraid to move lest he shut down again. She wanted him to feel hope for as long as possible. Finally she saw the cloud come back over him again.

_That was the longest time yet. He is starting to truly look past the battle he must fight,_ the voices said to her.

_He is starting to hope,_ Ginny replied to them.

_**"Ginny?"**_ Ginny heard Harry's voice in her head.

_**"Yes?"**_ Ginny thought back to him

_**"How long have you been a legilimens?"**_ The question came directly into her mind again.

"It is only with you," Ginny responded out loud, breaking the connection.

"Do you know how to keep me out when you don't want me in?" Harry asked her.

"Not really."

"Make your mind go blank, it is easy for you and I to reach out into each other's minds because we trust, and want the other person to be there. You and I are not seeking to find something the other person does not want to reveal. It feels safe. Do you understand?"

"Kind of," Ginny replied.

"You'll see when we get started later today with Ron and Hermione. It is not safe for me to show you what it is like when the invasion is unwanted right now."

"You're not going to tell me more right now?"

"No, right now I'm going to kiss you," Harry replied leaning into her.

"Morning Weasleys," Harry said as he sat down with Ginny in his lap at the dining table in the common area of their flat with Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione were quiet for a moment before they looked at them.

"Harry, Ginny, this is just too much," Hermione replied quietly as she laid the letter and key on the table. Harry sighed; he knew this would happen. How could it not when you give someone enough money to make them quite wealthy?

"Would you believe me if I told you Sirius gave it to you? That he left instructions in his will for you two to have it for your wedding gift from him?" Harry asked quietly

"No," Ron replied. Harry closed his eyes, shaking his head. Money meant nothing to him. It made things both easy and difficult. He had simply wanted Ron and Hermione to be free from wondering if they would be able to afford their next meal, house payment, or if they would be able to pay for their children to attend Hogwarts when the time came.

"Would you accept it if he had?" Ginny asked.

"It is not right to disregard the wishes of the dead," Hermione replied.

"Then pretend," Ginny answered her. "Accept this without guilt. Harry and I still have more than we need. You accepted the pledge of our lives when we performed the Blood Oath, was that not more valuable than this?" Ron and Hermione were quiet for a long time again.

"We don't know what to say, we have no gift for you like this," Hermione whispered.

"Don't say anything, Mione," Ginny replied. Your gift was sharing your wedding day with Harry and me. That was far more valuable to us than the money in that account." Ron and Hermione stared at the table before turning to each other. They reached an unspoken agreement before Hermione answered for both of them.

"Thank you," she whispered

"You're welcome," Harry and Ginny replied together.

Harry and Ginny were lounging on the couch by the fire in their flat watching Ron and Hermione. Ron was trying to play chess again, but Hermione was doing her best to distract him. She had forced her way onto his lap and was sneaking kisses onto his cheek and neck every time he seemed close to making a move. It was all they could do not to laugh at them.

"Some honeymoon this is," Hermione grumped at him. Harry and Ginny snorted. Ginny pulled Harry's face around to look at him, his eyes were clear again and she felt herself drowning.

_**"Potter?"**_ she thought to him. Harry shook his head at her and smiled.

"You're not in, Gin," he whispered to her, his eyes blazing. Ginny felt something stirring inside her at his challenge. She tried again focusing her thoughts on seeing into his eyes. There was something there now, they were still clear, but she could feel nothing behind them like the few times she had been in his mind before.

_**"Empty your mind, Gin."**_ The thought exploded into Ginny's mind. She could feel him, see him standing inside her mind. He could go anywhere he wanted right now, just like Tom had. Harry felt her begin to panic, he quickly exited.

"Are you ok?" he whispered. Ginny nodded at him.

"This is going to be very difficult for you, Gin," Harry whispered. "I'm going to hurt you. I'm sorry." Ginny reached up to him and placed her hand on the side of his face.

"I will bear any pain that will help you defeat Tom. It is the only way for us to be free," she whispered to him. Harry closed his eyes and sighed.

"Lie to me, Gin. Promise me he will not harm you."

"I promise, Harry." Harry opened his eyes again to look at her.

"It's time, Gin."

"We will be strong for you, be strong for us, Harry," Ginny whispered to him.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were all sitting in a circle on the floor in the sitting area of their flat as Harry prepared to begin their legilimency and occlumency training.

"What do we need pensieves for?" Ron asked as he watched Harry point his wand at his temple, pull a silvery strand out of his head and place it in one of the four bowls.

"Right know I'm removing the knowledge from my head of curses that could really hurt you," Harry replied. "There are also memories that I don't want to share with you or Hermione that you could see if you are able to break back into my mind."

"What could we want to hide from each other?" Ron asked. Harry smiled at him while giving Ginny a quick wink.

"Do you want me to see you and Hermione making love?" Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped. Ginny sniggered and shoved her fist in her mouth as she tried to stop laughing at the expression on their faces.

"We haven't," Hermione stammered at him blushing furiously

"I didn't say you had," Harry replied with a cheeky grin. "I just wanted you to realize that there are things you might not want to share with me. I'm protecting myself as much you. The more private the thought I come across, the more likely you are to lash out at me."

"How do we do that?" Hermione asked, as she watched Harry place another strand in the bowl.

"Point your wand at your temple, think of the memory you want and pull your wand away," Harry replied quietly, as he placed the last of about twenty strands in his pensieve. After a discussion with Ginny, in which he had learned that while all the Weasley children were loved and considered nothing but a blessing by their parents. Every one of them had been a shock as precautions had been taken to prevent such things. Those precautions had failed. Considering just how dangerous their lives were. And the problems of bringing a child into their world by some accident, he and Ginny had decided to try and wait for that part of their relationship. And while he and Ginny may not have made love yet either, there were defiantly things he did not want Ron or Hermione to see.

"It's kind of tough to know where to start," Harry began as he watched his two best friends and wife begin placing silvery strands in their respective pensieves.

"Just do your best, Harry. It has always been enough in the past and it will be now too," Hermione answered. Harry smiled at her.

"Thanks, Mione," Harry replied, and then taking a deep breath the lesson began.

"It generally works only with eye contact. Voldemort and I have a strong enough connection that we don't need it. There are two ways to protect yourself. You can either not let me in, or you can throw me out when I do get in. If I get in your mind, I will be able to go anywhere I want, see anything I want until you throw me out, or I decide to leave. Are you with me so far?"

"Yes, how do we keep you out?" Ron asked.

"Your mind needs to be blank. If I can't find some thought to latch onto in the first place, I will not be able to get in. You need to bury your memories. I focus on being surrounded by a cloud. The first thing Voldemort sees when he tries to get in my head is a vast whiteness; he has no idea where to go to find anything else. Essentially he is in, but he is lost, unless I give him some clue he just finds emptiness."

"So because he finds emptiness he is forced out?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, after some amount of time, it becomes impossible to stay. It takes too much energy to try endlessly."

"So how do we get you out if you get in?" Ginny asked.

"Once I'm in, it is very difficult to fight. Memories will fly through your head; you will find it incredibly difficult to focus. You can curse me just like if we were dueling. The more personal the memory I rip from you, the more desperate you will become. If you are able to focus enough to curse me then you will lash out with the first thing that comes into your mind.

"That could easily enough be _Avada Kadavera_. I have no idea if it would kill me, but when I was doing this with Snape, the curses I hit him with had close to the same effect as if we had been dueling." Harry watched as the three of them quickly placed more silvery strands into their pensieves.

"Leave yourself the ability to stun me," Harry remarked dryly. "For the four of us, it will be easy to connect if we want to. Ginny already has developed the ability to get in my head if I let her," he continued. Ron and Hermione looked at Ginny who just smiled at them.

"It's only with Harry," she whispered at them.

"Who taught you?" Ron asked quietly.

"Tom," Ginny replied her eyes flashing. Ron's eyes bugged out of his head, Harry saw his rage building. He had guessed that Ginny must have figured out how to look into his mind from Voldemort, but had not asked her about it, figuring it was one of the memories she would not want to think about. Harry found himself marveling at her strength and dreading how much more he would have to demand from her.

"Let's get started," Ron said as he stood up and faced Harry. "I want to go first."

"Ok," Harry replied climbing off the floor with him, "We'll start with you letting me in so you can get an idea of what to expect. Then I'll have you try to keep me out. I want you to think of some memories that you don't mind me seeing." Ron nodded at Harry. Harry gave him a minute to think.

"Ok, Harry, go ahead," he said looking into Harry's eyes.

Ron's head spun, he was remembering the day Harry and he had met on the train for the first time. How scared he had been that Harry would shake hands with Malfoy and leave him to sit on the train alone. The memory changed again. Ron was moving forward on the chess board, the opposing side's piece was about to take him, he was falling to the ground.

He knew that Harry was feeling what he had felt when he crashed to the ground, that Ron's first concern was Hermione's safety. The memory spun again to he and Harry pulling Fleur Delacour's little sister to the shore after Harry rescued both her and Ron from the Merpeople during their fourth year. The memories stopped, not by his choice, but because Harry had stopped. Suddenly he heard Harry's voice in his mind.

_**"Make your mind blank Ron, or throw me out. It will never be this easy again."**_

Focusing on being wrapped in a white cloud, Ron tried to push his memories down, clear his mind. Harry was still there, he could feel him searching again looking for an opening.

_No, not there!_ the voices screamed in Ron's head as Harry found a crack. Ron's head spun again. He was mad, how could Harry have not told him he was going to enter the Tri Wizard Tournament. He was mad at himself now, how could he have believed that Harry was lying when he said he didn't put his name in the cup. Ron was down at the lake, he and Hermione were walking together hand in hand. She was pushing him against a tree pressing into him, her hand sliding under his shirt. He was trapped, desperately digging through the caved in rocks to get to Harry, to help him find Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets.

_**"Fight Ron!"**_ Harry's voice exploded in his mind.

He was sitting at the table in the great hall cowering as his mother's howler screamed at him in front of the whole school. He was watching as the green light from Voldemort moved slowly towards Harry. Harry released him. Ron collapsed to his knees on the floor.

Ginny and Hermione rushed to him.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry mumbled to him.

"It's ok, Mione, Gin. It hurts, almost impossible to even think about fighting much less do anything about it," he said getting to his feet.

"I know," Ginny replied hugging him.

"It gets worse doesn't it, Gin? Once you lose the ability to fight he owns you, doesn't he? That is the difference between this and the _Imperius curse_ isn't it?"

"Yes, Ron," Ginny answered clinging to him.

"Harry…."

"No, Ron, come into my mind, it is open right now. Use your wand-the spell is Legilimens," Harry interrupted him. Ron nodded at him and raised his wand.

_"Legilimens!"_ Harry let him in. He could feel Ron searching in the white expanse of emptiness.

Ron was searching for something anything, there was nothing but emptiness.

_**"What do you want, Ron?"**_ Harry pushed the thought to him.

_**"It was the prophecies, wasn't it Harry? You were tested when Malfoy offered you his hand that first day on the train, and my heart failed you at the beginning of fourth year."**_ Ron's voice spoke into Harry's head

_**"Yeah, Ron, it was,"**_ Harry replied. And then Ron became lost in the emptiness of Harry's mind; the spell was almost broken.

_**"I thought you said it would be very hard for me to stay here like this?"**_ Ron thought to Harry. Harry smiled at him.

_**"I'm letting you stay right now, Ron,"**_ Harry replied.

"And know….I'm not," Harry said out loud. Ron felt himself drowning in Harry's mind, energy draining from his body.

_We've got to get out,_ the voices panicked in Ron's head, dropping the spell they were trying to maintain.

"Wow!" Ron gasped in awe, as he regained his senses. "I need to sit down. You drained energy from me like never before."

"I know, Ron. Why do you think I slept for four days straight after the fight with Voldemort?" Harry replied. "I couldn't have killed him even if I knew how that day. I didn't have the energy to levitate even a feather."

"Are you ok, Love?" Hermione asked him quietly

"Yeah, Mione, I think I'm done for today though," Ron replied.

"Ok then, I guess it's my turn." Hermione said kissing him on the cheek.

"Mione, it hurts," Ron whispered to her.

"It's the only way, Love. Learn to protect myself with Harry  
or fall to Voldemort," Hermione replied cupping her hand to the side of his face. Harry watched Ron, struggling with the pain that he knew Hermione was about to endure. Ron turned to Harry.

"Save her, Harry," he whispered.

"I promise," Harry replied. "Ready, Mione?"

"Do it, Harry," Hermione replied firmly.

"Memories you want to share first." Hermione nodded to him.  
Hermione's brain swam. She was flying with Ron, clinging to him for her life. She knew Harry could feel the terror she felt as she and Ron zoomed through the sky. She was in her animagus form hunting Harry, his scent filling her senses. Every nerve in her body was alive as she stalked him. She was lying on the floor of the common room with Ron, Harry and Ginny, everything was right with her world. Suddenly she could feel Harry stop.

_**"Throw me out Mione."**_ His voice rang in her head.

She was kissing Harry at the base of the stairs to the top box last fall; she knew that Harry could feel her desperately wanting to tell him yes. She was screaming at Ron in the common room. "NEXT TIME ASK ME!" She was crying herself to sleep that same night. The pain as raw now as it had been then

_No! I love him and he loves me!_ Hermione screamed in her head.

Hermione was in Harry's head. His heart was screaming in agony as he fought with Voldemort using her and Ron as his strength. Harry threw her out, renewing his attack, digging deeper into her mind.

She was being failed in all of her classes, thrown out of Hogwarts. Her friends were leaving her. Ron was standing in front of her on Valentines Day. She had hurt him that day, not understanding just how much he loved her. Only this was her nightmare, Ron wasn't forgiving her joke. He was leaving her. Harry seized on it, pounding it into her head that Ron had left her. She was dying, collapsing to the ground as he walked away from her, ignoring her cries, fading into the distance, never even looking back. She was standing in front of Ron and he was speaking to her. "With this ring, I Ronald Weasley, take you, Hermione Granger for my wife."

Harry stopped his attack leaving her with the memory of Ron's wedding vows. Hermione felt herself in Harry's mind, he in hers.

_**"Force me out Mione. Empty you mind."**_ His voice came into her head. Harry could feel all of the memories flying around behind the thin white wall he was surrounded by. He didn't try to attack any of them.

_**"How?"**_ Hermione thought back to him. She couldn't control her emotions. Harry had taken her from her lowest low to her highest high. It had been brutal when he moved into memories she did not want him to see.

_**"I know what you're thinking, Mione, I'm sorry I hurt you."**_ Harry let her into his mind as he pushed the thought to her allowing the pain in his heart from hurting her to come to the surface creating a weak spot in the wall that was blocking her from going deeper.

Hermione felt it, his pain as deep as what she had felt when he ripped into her nightmare of Ron leaving her.

_**"I would never ask you to suffer more than I am willing to suffer myself, Mione, I'll die first,"**_ Harry pushed the thought into her mind.

_**"I know, Harry, that is why I trust you."**_

_**"You are in my mind as much as I am in yours right now, Mione. I'm going to leave yours and let you stay in mine. Stay there as long as you can."**_ Hermione felt her mind clear she focused on staying in Harry's mind. He was closing the hole he had opened for her. It was absolutely silent in the white expanse. She couldn't breathe.

_We need to get out of here!_ the voices screamed at her.

_No, not yet!_ she screamed back at them. Hermione felt her strength fading.

_There has to be something,_ she said desperately to herself. Harry released her from the trap that was his mind just before she collapsed to the floor, he caught her as she fell forward.

"Mione!" Ron yelled, jumping up to help Harry. "You went too far," he snapped angrily at Harry. Harry didn't try to defend himself.

"No, Love, I did it to myself. I refused to quit trying to get in his mind until I collapsed," Hermione tried to calm Ron.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry said quietly.

"Ronald, we have to get stronger. It hurts Harry as much as it does us. I know, Harry let me feel it," Hermione said to him. Ron sighed.

"I know; I just can't take seeing you hurt, Mione."

"This is our life, Ronald. Your love for me must be strong enough to allow me to suffer. Voldemort is coming for all of us, not just Harry. Can you let him come for me if I am unprepared?" Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"No, Mione. I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's ok, Ron. I know how you feel. I'm about to do the same thing to my wife," Harry replied, hugging him. Hermione and Ginny joined them.

"How did this happen do us?" Ron asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know, Ron, but when this is all done we are all going on a real honeymoon," Harry replied. They stayed together for a long time.

"Maybe tonight we could all stay out here in front of the fireplace, kind of like this past Christmas Holiday," Hermione said quietly.

"I'd like that, Hermione," Ginny whispered.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me too," Harry added.

"Me too," Ron agreed.

"I think it's my turn, Harry," Ginny said a moment later as she stepped back from the group. Harry groaned to himself and turned to her.

"I can take anything you can give, don't you dare hold back on me." Ginny said to him. Her eyes were blazing away already, her wand leveled at him. Harry raised his wand at Ginny.

_"Legilimens!"_ they said together

Harry could feel Ginny trying to enter his mind. At the same time she was fighting him, her mind a wall of white. Harry searched; she was draining him, not like Voldemort did but she had only just learned the secret of how to keep someone out. Tom had always just been able to enter her mind, forcing her to try and throw him out, a much more difficult thing to do. Harry found something.

Ginny was standing in front of the Mirror of Erised, seeing herself and Harry in it. She was sitting at her desk casting spells over her picture, attaching it to the back of a chocolate frog card of Albus Dumbledore. She was eleven years old again, killing the school rooster. Ginny was writing on the wall in blood. Tom was tormenting her while she did it, letting her have control and then taking it away again. Harry felt his stomach lurch with the rage that surged in Ginny. He could hear her screaming in his mind as she fought against Voledmort. Harry was only just able to cast a shield spell in his mind when she lashed out at him with a stunning spell

Ginny was in his mind, feeling her pain had weakened him, allowing her to find him behind the wall of white. Harry was standing at the bottom of the stairs to the top box at the quidditch field Hermione was leaning in to kiss him. Harry closed her out forcing his way back into Ginny's mind.

Ginny was standing, watching Harry on his knees in front of her, holding a basilisk fang in his hand. She felt nothing as he collapsed from the poison that coursed through his body. Tom had her now, she was no longer herself, doomed to spend eternity, her soul being continually raped. Harry felt her hatred ripping through him driving him to his knees.

The image changed again. This time to the memory of a nightmare. Ginny was frantically trying to get out of the death chamber. Harry could hear her voice calling to her to wake up, and then breaking into sobs telling her it was too late that he was already dead. He watched her turnwalk through the veil. Harry was drowning in the pain he felt coming from Ginny. He desperately searched her mind for something good to leave them both with before letting her go.

_There!_ the voices called to him

Ginny was lying with Harry in bed that morning watching him, he was sleeping. He could feel pure adoration for him, radiating from her memory.

_What did we ever do to deserve that?_ the voices asked together.

Harry watched himself wake up and roll to face her. "Good morning, Husband." He heard her saying. "I love you, Gin." Harry stopped, retreating into her wall, letting the white surround him again.

_**"Throw me out, Gin,"**_ he pushed the thought into her head.

_**"Tell me about Hermione's kiss!"**_ Ginny demanded back into his mind. Harry let the memory come to the surface of his mind.

He was sitting next to Hermione, she was waking up, they were walking down the stairs, her finger was on his lips. "Not an answer." Hermione was kissing him again. "Thank you for loving me." Hermione was running, Harry was chasing her, they were all eating breakfast when Cho came running towards them, her hair turned green and she crashed to the floor. Harry shut Ginny out again.

_**"She would have told you yes if you had let her,"**_ Ginny gasped into his head.

_**"We both would have made a huge mistake,"**_ Harry replied.

_**"You both would have been happy."**_

_**"Maybe, but it would not have been what we each have now."**_ Harry felt himself struggling to stay in Ginny's mind. She was incredibly strong draining him. He fought to keep his connection to her while pushing her out, knowing if he let her win that her wrath would be horrendous. She would rip into his mind without remorse demanding that he fight back. He lost all track of time for how long they fought each other finally he managed to find one thought she could not bury deep enough yet.

"I, Harry James Potter, offer myself as Husband. To you, Ginerva Molly Weasley, hold me forever." Harry broke the connection for both of them.

"Damn!" Ginny grumbled at him before crossing the room and taking him in her arms.

"I thought you would be pleased that I won, Gin?"

"That doesn't mean I have to like it when you do, Harry."

"Did I meet your expectations, Gin?" Harry asked gazing into her eyes.

_**"It won't be so easy next time, Potter."**_ Harry laughed, shaking his head at her.

"How can someone as tiny as you, be so strong, Gin?" Harry asked her quietly.

"You're mother knew I would have to be strong when she picked me," Ginny replied.

"Puhlezze, you two are worse than Ron and I have ever been," Hermione said tossing a pillow at them. Harry caught it and then found his knees buckling as Ginny pressed her lips to his.

"Disgusting!" Ron said as he pulled Hermione to him.


	4. The General Begins To Plan

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 4 The General Begins to Plan

The Hogwart's vault for all of its potions notes was vast. As large as the school library, it stretched on seemingly endlessly -- shelf after shelf full of aging, leather bound tomes, scrolls and loose pieces of yellowed, brittle parchment all arranged by date and the type of potion that had been researched soared from the floor to the ceiling more than thirty feet above them. The colossal stones that formed the deepest foundations of the castle, created a cave like climate in the vault that provided the perfect environment to preserve the different parchments in. Light was provided not by torches, whose smoke would contribute to decay of the priceless knowledge recorded in the tomes, but by hundreds of lit wands all through the vault.

In the short time that Hermione and Ginny had been descending into the deepest bowels of the castle, far below the dungeon where potions class was held, Hermione had come to one amazing conclusion. It seemed that nearly a third of all the discoveries and advances in potions making had come from a student. It was a concept that had thrilled her, and now as she and Ginny sorted through page after page of parchment, she was onto something herself.

Setting the thought aside for later, she looked over to where Ginny was sitting at the table nearly buried under precariously leaning stacks of notes, that without magic holding them up would have crashed down on her in an avalanche of dust, and debris hours ago. Sighing, she shook her head, wondering exactly why Professor Dumbledore had given her access to the vault. Surely it couldn't be just to help her continuing efforts to teach Ron and Harry. If that was all he wanted her to do, all she needed was access to Snape's supply cabinet and the books for seventh year potions. Not that she hadn't been given access to that also, but there had to be some other reason for her and Ginny getting to sift through more than a thousand years of some of Hogwart's best kept secrets. Unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore had not given her any direction, only that she would have access to the notes.

As she sat there, Hermione found herself wondering what Professor Snape would think of her looking through all of this. He had to know she was in here. She had been dreading how he would react the first time he came in here and found her. She was more than glad that Professor Dumbledore had agreed to let Ginny accompany her.

Hermione mentally shook herself trying to clear her head and found herself watching Ginny; she was more and more in awe of her every day. Ginny was pushing Harry harder than ever. They had only been doing occlumency and legilimency with Harry for a week, when she had gotten tired of Harry always being able to throw them out of his mind, most of the time none of them could even get in. She had forced Harry into taking on her and Ron at the same time in an attempt to push him.

Hermione's mind wandered back to yesterday. She had watched Harry, his face contorted with the effort of fighting them both, sink down to the floor on one knee in front of them after almost two hours of continuous effort. Finally he had hit Ron with a binding curse when he had gotten too far into Harry's mind. Harry had fought Ginny for another hour before she collapsed to the floor. She had pulled away from him with enough strength left to tell Hermione to attack him before she passed out.

Hermione had fought Harry, battling back and forth with him, for another forty-five minutes. She had gotten into his mind deeper yesterday than ever before, looking for whatever it was that had caused him to curse Ron. His counter attack on her had been brutal. She had been forced to relive every nightmare she had ever had about losing Ron. She had finally managed to push him out into the white cloud she protected herself with and then he had drained her as she tried to get back in his head. Harry had let her go just before she collapsed.

Hermione grimaced slightly as the memory continued to roll through her mind. Ginny had recovered while Hermione had fought Harry and must have picked up with him again when she collapsed, because when Hermione had recovered she had looked up to see Harry falling to the floor completely spent with Ginny standing over him. She had levitated him to hers and Harry's bed and then collapsed next to him. Neither one had woken for dinner, sleeping all the way through to morning. How Ginny found the strength to fight again, Hermione couldn't fathom.

Now, today, she had insisted that Harry and Ron work on occlumency again today. The three of them had weakened Harry yesterday and Ginny was forcing him to fight when he had not recovered completely. Forcing him and by default all of them to find new depths to which they could dig for strength.

_The next thing you know she will have Dumbledore down here and force Harry to fight him, Ron and us at the same time,_ said a new, third voice in Hermione's head. Hermione started.

_Where did you come from?_ she asked, a small smile playing across her mouth.

_Not really sure. I'm just here,_ the voice replied.

_Well as long as you are, do you have any ideas of what we should look for in here?_ Hermione's second voice asked.

_Look for stuff that might be dark magic. Maybe we can find some clues to what Voldemort has done to himself that makes him only vulnerable to Harry,_ the third voice replied.

_Dark magic?_ Hermione's first asked timidly.

_We don't have to use it. But we can fight it better if we understand it,_ the third voice responded.

"Ginny," Hermione said quietly.

"Yes, Mione."

"Look for dark magic potions, maybe we can find some clues as to what Voldemort has done to himself." Ginny regarded Hermione for a minute.

"Let's skim a bunch of stuff first, stack anything that might be useful on this table. Stuff we don't need put back on the shelves."

Harry and Ron squared off in front of each other in the sitting area of their flat; wands at the ready. Circling each other warily, Harry waited until he had maneuvered Ron so the light streaming in the window hit him in the eyes, causing a momentary distraction.

_"Legilimens!"_ he said casting his spell. Ron was less then half a second behind him in sending the same spell at Harry. Both still drained from the day before, the battle of wills began in earnest. It had only taken a glare from Ginny at each of them to stop their complaints about being to tired after yesterday to practice today to get them to shut up. Now, Harry dug deep into himself trying to reach for what Ginny believed was there and Ron pushed hoping to bring it to the surface. Neither wanted to have to do this again with her later that day if she didn't think they had done enough. They both knew it would not be pretty if she wasn't satisfied. Worse, Hermione seemed at times, to be turning into a slightly tamer version of Ginny, herself.

Ron could feel Harry was weak when he first entered the white cloud. It was not nearly as dense as it had been yesterday. Harry's thoughts were much closer to the surface than normal. Reaching out with his mind, he tried to latch on to one of them.

Harry's head spun. He was in his fourth year again, the imposter Mad-Eye had him under the _Imperious curse._ His second voice developed telling him to fight. Harry was flying, Ginny was falling blood spraying in the air from her collision with Cho Chang. Harry's third voice developed demanding that he catch her falling body. He couldn't do it she was still falling.

_No!_ Harry roared. _That did not happen, I saved her!_

Ron was back in the vast whiteness that Harry protected his mind with. Fighting each other, their strength draining rapidly, neither of them was able to penetrate beyond. Ron could feel Harry's defense weakening, He knew that Harry would not quit, that was not an option. He felt Harry's memories coming to the surface, he could go anywhere now, but there was no point. He just needed to make Harry fight to exhaustion. Ron pulled out of his own attack letting Harry continue with his.

Harry knew he was beaten, but he also knew the rules. He had to fight until he collapsed. He had demanded the same from Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Now it was his turn to trust Ron to release him before he was really hurt. Harry's mind was fogging as it had with Ginny yesterday the voices were screaming at him to get out while he still could. Harry sank to his knees looking for anything to give him strength to keep going. He had been more exhausted against Voldemort. He had to push beyond that, endure more, so he had the strength to deliver the final blow.

Ron skimmed Harry's mind again feeling the turmoil. He marveled at how long Harry was holding on, refusing to give in.

_Find something that will make him lash out,_ the voices said to Ron. Ron skimmed the memories in Harry's mind again. He was vaguely aware that Harry was screaming in agony.

Harry's head spun. He was in the field again. Voldemort was standing over Ron, Hermione and Ginny. This was the nightmare that came from discovering the _Phoenix charm_, the one where Ron did not raise himself to save Hermione. Three bolts of light flew from Voldemort's wand striking Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. They were dead.

"Arrghhh!" Ron flew back into the wall smacking his head hard enough to see stars. He dropped to his knees and crawled over to Harry who was laying face down on the floor. He rolled Harry over lifting his head onto his lap.

"Come on, mate, wake up," he said, slapping Harry's face lightly. Harry groaned and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but that hurt less than what Ginny would do to me if I hadn't pushed you so hard." Harry rolled over struggling to push himself to his knees.

"I know, Ron. It's ok," Harry replied.

"Harry, how are we going to be able to fight when the time comes if we are exhausted at the start?" Ron asked him after a few minutes.

"How exhausted were you today compared to the first day we did this, Ron?"

"I was fully rested that day," Ron replied.

"And how long did you fight that day compared to today?"

"Not very long," Ron said shaking his head. He struggled to his feet, reached down and offered his hand to Harry, helping him up.

"Harry, where are you now compared to after the fight with Voldemort?"

"I could fight him longer now, Ron. The problem is he will be stronger the next time we meet. Every time we have met and he has initiated some kind of contact with my mind, he has left me stronger than I was before. I'm worried that I might have made him stronger by initiating contact with his mind this time."

Ron sat down heavily on the couch. Harry joined him they sat quietly for a long time. Harry wasn't thinking about anything, but Ron's mind was alive. He could feel that something was just below the surface he just couldn't reach it yet.

_We need to find some way of weakening him before Harry has to fight him,_ the voices said quietly to him.

_I know, the question is how,_ Ron replied.

_We're not sure yet._

_Well work on it we're running out of time,_ Ron told them.

"Damn!" Harry spat to no one in particular.

"What was that for?" Ron asked, startled at Harry's outburst.

"Voldemort just broke the Death Eaters we captured out of jail," Harry sighed, holding his head in his hands. "I should have killed them when I had the chance," he mumbled under his breath. Ron didn't even think it was odd that he wasn't questioning Harry's announcement regarding the Death Eaters. He studied Harry for a moment.

"Harry are you ok?"

"Trying to close him out," Harry muttered back to him. Ron watched Harry for awhile again.

"Harry, I need you to promise me something," Ron said quietly.

"What, Ron?" Harry sighed. He had just managed to close out the last of the prickling coming from his scar.

"Don't ever try to get in my head without telling me you are," Harry looked at him confused by the request.

"I never have, Ron, but why?"

"I can't tell you, Harry. Just promise me." Harry studied Ron for a few minutes. Ron closed his eyes.

"I promise, Ron," Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry," Ron replied. "Do you think we should go see Dumbledore about the Death Eaters?" he asked after a short pause.

"I'm sure he knows already, but we could go talk to him anyways. At the very least, I could use a walk," Harry replied.

"Let's go then," Ron said, standing up and heading for the door.

Ginny lay in bed watching Harry sleep again, she could tell he was agitated. He had been ever since she had made him fight her and Ron at the same time, then after he had beaten them both she had set Hermione on him. She had not expected him to beat Hermione, but he had. She had recovered to watch the last fifteen minutes of their fight. When Hermione had fallen she had attacked him again. She had beaten him. Together they had almost pushed Harry as far as Voldemort had.

Ginny reached out with her hand to touch him. Harry sighed deeply when her hand touched his.

_Thank Merlin we can give him peace,_ the voices whispered to her. Ginny smiled. She knew it was her fault that he was in this state. It broke her heart to do it, but then she knew she had to. For some reason, Harry would fight for her. The only way she could fight for him was to push him, so she did.

Harry rolled over again so he was facing her. His eyes opened a few minutes later.

_**"You're always awake watching me, do you ever sleep?"**_ Harry's thought came into her head.

_**"I like to see you at peace,"**_ Ginny replied.

This was happening every morning now when they woke up. The intimacy of being in each other's minds was wonderful. Ginny wasn't even sure that making love would be as intimate as this. Having decided the risk of bringing a child into their lives even with contraceptive charms was more than either wanted to take right now, this was what they had found to satiate both of their desires. It wasn't easy, but it helped.

Ginny had not told Harry, but she and Hermione had talked about it. Ron and Hermione had reached the same conclusions as Harry and Ginny. One night they had come close to breaking their vow. Ginny had told Hermione about how she and Harry let each other in every night before they fell asleep, and when they woke in the morning. They would bring memories they wanted to share to the surface for each other. The wave of comfort was intense. Hermione had thanked her approximately a thousand times the next day.

_**"What do you have for me this morning?"**_ Harry asked. Ginny smiled at him.

Harry felt her memory coming up from deep within her allowing him to leave the vast white emptiness he was standing in. He was watching himself crying on Ginny's shoulder in the cart outside of his vault at Gringots last summer. Seeing it from her point of view, feeling the sorrow she felt at his pain, but also the joy she felt because he was letting her comfort him. Harry understood how much this memory meant to her, how intensely private a moment it was. The joy he felt that she was showing it to him was intense. Harry pulled himself away from her receding into the emptiness again.

_**"Thank you, Gin,"**_ he said to her.

_**"My turn?"**_ Harry could sense her eagerness.

Ginny felt something stirring deep under the wall that protected Harry's mind. She was watching herself walk down the aisle on her fathers arm. She could feel Harry's emotions when he first saw her. Catching that his heart skipped a beat, that he was only vaguely aware of Hermione next to her, a girl that she thought was much more attractive than herself. Ginny felt the rush of excitement go through Harry when her father had placed her hand in his. She began to pull out of his memory into the emptiness again.

_**"I love you, Husband,"**_ Ginny said to him. Harry smiled at her.

_**"Do you know what it does to me when you call me that?"**_

_**"Show me!"**_ Ginny demanded the thought exploding in Harry's mind.

_**"Tonight."**_

"Prat," Ginny said out loud pouting at him. Harry laughed at her. Ginny rolled over, turning away from him pretending to be mad.

"You're a tease," she grumbled at him when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back into his stomach.

"I'll give you two tonight," Harry whispered nibbling on the back of her neck.

"Promise?" Ginny grasped at his offer.

"Promise," Harry replied. Ginny rolled back over to face him pulling his lips to hers kissing him deeply.

"Can we stay here all day, Gin?"

"We're going to get hungry."

"Dobby will bring food in here if we ask," Harry replied.

"That, will royally hack off Hermione, and having her mad at you is only slightly less appealing than making me mad, Potter," Harry sighed, and then before he could stop himself.

"Well then, I guess you had better get up and get me something to eat," he said shoving her out of the bed. Ginny hit the floor in a heap and sprang back up instantly.

"Oh, now you're dead, Potter," she growled at him. Harry had scrambled out of the bed and was opposite her now as she turned to face him.

"You don't scare me, Gin." Harry grinned at her.

"Is that a fact, Potter?" Ginny had found her wand on the floor, and was hiding it behind her back.

"Wand's are cheating, Gin." Ginny glared at him.

"Says who?"

"Me."

Ginny dropped her wand and leapt onto the bed jumping across it at Harry. He caught her in his arms, falling back to the floor with her. Ginny was tickling him. Harry fought back, but she was strong, and there was only one spot on her side that she seemed to be ticklish. Harry was ticklish everywhere.

"Ok, ok you win, Gin," he said gasping for air.

Ginny moved to straddle over him pinning his arms down to the floor under her legs.

"That won't cut it, Potter," she said, glaring down at him crossing her arms across her chest.

"No?" Harry asked, smiling at her.

"No."

"What?"

"Breakfast in bed, _you_ will serve me," Ginny replied. Harry looked at her.

"Your wish is my command, Gin," Harry whispered to her. Ginny stood up and climbed back into the bed.

"I want strawberries, Potter," she called to him as Harry headed out the bedroom door.

"As you wish," Harry called back to her.

Harry walked back into the room a few minutes later with a tray for her. Dobby had brought him some toast, bacon, juice and a bowl of strawberries. He looked at his wife sitting up against the headboard, with the covers bundled around her waist. Harry felt his heart flutter at the picture.

"Come sit with me, Husband," Ginny said quietly to him. Harry set the tray on her lap and sat down next to her.

"My toast needs to be buttered, and I like it with marmalade," Ginny whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. Harry laughed.

_This is kind of a fun game,_ the voices said to him, as he spread the butter on Ginny's toast followed by marmalade. Harry handed it to her.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered taking it from him. Harry watched her eat.

"I'm thirsty now," Ginny said quietly. Harry smiled in spite of himself. He picked up a glass of juice and tipped it to her lips, gazing intently into her eyes as she drank.

_The clouds are gone from his eyes,_ the voices said to her.

"That is much nicer than when Bridgette was doing it," Ginny whispered when he lowered the glass from her lips. Harry picked up a napkin and wiped a drop of juice from her lips.

"Thank you."

Harry suppressed a laugh, Ginny was blushing at him. He watched her pick a berry out of the bowl.

"Let me show you what to do, Husband," Ginny said while lifting the berry to his lips. Harry opened his mouth and she pushed the berry into his waiting lips. As Harry closed his mouth, Ginny left the tip of her finger there for him to kiss. Harry watched her eyes, drowning into their sparkling depths.

"Let me see if I have it right?" he said, repeating the process for Ginny. When he pushed the berry into her mouth Ginny leaned forward and closed her lips around his finger for an instant. A surge of electricity ran up Harry's arm and coursed through the rest his body.

"You need more practice," she told him licking her lips.

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes, here let me show you again." Harry and Ginny took turns feeding each other until the strawberries were gone. Harry set the tray on the floor when they had finished. Ginny had scooted down on the bed again lying on her side.

"Come, let me look at you," she said. Harry lay down on his side facing her again.

"Do you love me, Gin?"

"Yes, Harry, I love you," Ginny replied, watching his eyes. Harry smiled at her again and they stayed that way for a long time.

"No, don't go," Ginny whispered desperately as she watched the clouds come back.

"Hold me, Gin. Let me be weak for a minute," he pleaded back to her, as his eyes started to glisten. Ginny rolled onto her back and pulled Harry to her placing his head on her chest. She began to run her fingers through his hair.

"Tonight I get to be weak, Husband." Harry found her hand and wove his fingers between hers.

"Thank you, Wife," Harry replied before he fell asleep in her arms.

Harry woke up hours later still lying on Ginny's chest.

"You haven't moved since you fell asleep," she said when he looked up at her.

"Only a fool would move from this spot," Harry replied. "You're blushing," Harry teased her a moment later.

"I am not," Ginny snapped glaring at him.

"Gin, you're beautiful when you're mad." Harry laughed at her and then settled back down with his head on her chest.

"What time is it?" he asked a short while later.

"Almost time for lunch."

"You let me sleep all morning?" he asked, surprised that his task master had softened.

"Hermione and I decided that we all needed a day off….It will allow us to go even further tomorrow," Ginny replied quietly.

_Even in giving us time to rest she looks to push us harder,_ the voices said in exasperation inside Harry's head.

_Do you really mind?_ Harry replied to them.

_No, as long as we wake up next to her tomorrow, she can make any demand she wants,_ they replied.

"Are we staying in bed all day then?" Harry asked.

"No, Hermione has some surprise for us this afternoon."

"What is it?" Harry asked excitement evident in his voice.

"She wouldn't tell me. But her last surprise was pretty good," Ginny replied. She sounded as excited as Harry. Harry pushed himself up and gave her a kiss.

"Come on, Gin. Let's go get them."

Ron ran along the edge of the lake just getting his feet wet trying to break the scent trail he was leaving behind. Hermione, Harry and Ginny were coming. He had to find some way of getting behind them, or he was going to be in trouble. Not that he wasn't toast anyways, he could take Harry alone, and he could handle both Hermione and Ginny together in his animagus form but all three of them, it was a not a battle he would win. Ron found what he was looking for and with a gigantic leap he reached the bottom branch of the tree that was over-hanging the lake.

Harry and Ginny followed along behind Hermione, she was teaching them how to hunt Ron by his scent. Hermione had transfigured both Harry and Ginny into lions. Harry was about thirty pounds lighter than Ron, golden brown with a very dark shaggy mane. Ginny was also a little smaller than Hermione, with a reddish brown coat. She was not as strong as Hermione, but had been absolutely ferocious during the first wrestling match earlier that afternoon.

Hermione stopped; she sniffed at the ground deeply where Ron had started to run through the water, and then moved to the side to let Harry and Ginny take in his scent also. Hermione transformed back to her human form.

"He's running in the water so we can't trail him. He is going that direction because it puts him downwind of us, carrying our scent on the wind to him," she said to them and then changed back into a lion. Harry and Ginny brushed up against her to indicate that they understood. Hermione set off again with Harry and Ginny trailing behind.

Harry watched Hermione intently; trying to learn how to hunt. He raised his head and sniffed the air, the confusion and intensity of smells that came to his brain was overwhelming. He recognized all of them, he had smelled it before, but now he could identify what things were by the scent they left behind. Hermione was right. This was absolutely thrilling.

Ginny watched Harry closely. She could have kissed Hermione for this, in fact she had. She could see Harry regaining his strength as the day went along. She was enjoying this as much as Harry was, the wrestling match with him had been more fun than she would have imagined. What really mattered to her though was Harry was having fun, forgetting about Voldemort and training to fight him. He was going to be unbelievably strong tomorrow when they worked on occlumency and legilimency with him.

Hermione stopped, she knew Ron was close. His scent was in the air swirling around, but she could not pinpoint where he was.

Ron watched them approach from up in the trees. He had managed to climb through the branches to a tree that was further into the woods than the one he first jumped into by the lake. Hermione was at that tree now. He lost sight of them as they moved past him. He would have to move quickly, the wind was now going to blow his scent to them.

_He's behind us!_ the voices screamed at Hermione.

She spun just in time to see Ron charging at them. Harry and Ginny spun half a second later as they watched Hermione leap into the air, with an earsplitting roar, to meet Ron in mid leap. She was overwhelmed by him in a second and slammed onto her back on the ground.

Harry and Ginny joined the fray, slamming into Ron, knocking him off of Hermione. The three of them quickly surrounded Ron. Ron spun to face Harry, roaring at him, daring him to attack. Harry roared and leapt, he and Ron met fangs and claws ripping at each other. Ron threw Harry to the ground and spun to catch Hermione and Ginny coming at him. A second later Harry was part of the battle again. The three of them forced Ron back. Ron began to fight more and more ferociously, driving them off of him, getting a hold of Hermione and slamming her to the ground, he pinned her under him and stood there snarling at Harry and Ginny.

Harry was about to attack again when Ginny slammed into him from the side, Harry battled back with Ginny.

_She is brutal,_ the voices said to him

_Well don't let her win, we may be playing, but she will be hacked off if we lose,_ Harry replied desperately.

Harry finally managed to gain an advantage and slammed Ginny down on her back under him. Ginny struggled under Harry snarling furiously at him. She finally stopped fighting, and Harry could hear her start purring. Harry collapsed next to her, Ron and Hermione padded over and flopped down next to them. They stayed that way for a long time. Lounging in the shade of the trees as the sunlight filtered through the leaves to the ground. It was well past normal dinner time when the headed back up to the castle and their flat.

"Thank you Hermione," Harry whispered to her as the four of them sat watching the fire burn down in their shared sitting area. She had sat down next to him on the couch after Dobby had brought them dinner, and was now lying with her head in Harry's lap. She rolled to face him wrapped her arms around him pressing her face into his stomach, hugging him tightly.

"Your welcome, Harry," she said replied. Harry was a little surprised at her display of affection; he looked at Ron who smiled at him.

"Why don't we all stay out here tonight," Ron suggested from the chair he was sitting in with Ginny. "Tomorrow will be here soon enough. Let's keep the perfection of this day going for a little while longer."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Ginny said getting up from the chair. "But I would like my husband back if you don't mind, Hermione." Hermione sat up sighing.

"If you must."

"What am I chopped liver?" Ron asked in a fake hurt voice.

"Sorry, Ron, but when you've got it….You've got it," Harry shot at him.

"Oh shut it," Ron replied pulling Hermione onto the floor with him.

"Hi, Love," she said to him as she snuggled in.

"Good night you two," Ginny said quietly as she pulled Harry onto the floor. Harry lay on his side, his eyes blazing and clear, gazing into hers.

_**"You're turn to be weak, Gin,"**_ Harry thought to her.

_**"You owe me two memories, Potter."**_ Harry smiled at her.

_**"You want them out here?"**_

_**"No, you will have to give me four tomorrow night,"**_ Ginny replied, smiling back at him.

_**"Four?"**_

_**"Two for tonight, one for tomorrow morning and one for tomorrow night, Husband."**_

"Come and be weak, Wife." Harry whispered to her pulling her head to his chest.

"I love you, Harry."

"Go to sleep, Gin." Harry felt Ginny relax and her breathing become slow and steady. He fell asleep himself to the feel of her heart beating against him.


	5. At What Cost?

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 5 

**At What Price?**

Harry and Hermione stood facing each other, while Ron and Ginny each sat in one of the squashy armchairs in the sitting area of their flat, nervously watching the two of them. The new potion that Hermione and Ginny had come up with had worked. Yesterday, Hermione had beaten Harry, and they were trying it again today.

"Legilimens!" Harry and Hermione yelled at each other. Harry was desperate. He didn't know what had changed in Hermione from two days ago, to yesterday, but the vast whiteness of her mind had become impossible to penetrate. Yesterday she had fought with him for close to five hours by herself. Harry had finally collapsed when she released him. Ginny had only said one thing to him.

"I'm disappointed in you."

Harry had not felt that low since he had sunk to his knees outside of the hospital wing when Ginny had been injured during the Quidditch match. This had been worse. He was determined not to hear the disappointment in her voice today. Harry had been nervous before they started, he had not fully recovered from yesterday yet, and he was hoping Hermione was still tired too. He was disappointed to find that she was stronger.

The battle of wills raged, each trying to penetrate beyond the wall that was protecting their respective minds. Harry was aware of the voices deep in his mind trying to find a new way to fight Hermione, to weaken her so he could get into her head. Harry let a memory come to the surface of his mind.

Hermione felt something give in Harry. She reached out and grabbed it and she was destroyed.

Harry had let his memory of the fight with Voldemort come to the surface. Hermione saw Ron under the control of the Imperious curse his wand raised at Harry preparing to kill him. She saw her own wand rise towards Ron.

Hermione's version of this memory had been created in a moment that did not allow for truly conscious thought to occur; the battle that had followed had forced her to push it away. And afterwards her subconscious had forced it so far into the depths of her mind that she did not even remember it. If she had, she would surely have placed the memory in her pensieve, protecting herself from the horror of what she had almost done. Now, this forgotten memory ripped to the surface of her mind. Hermione had been seconds from killing Ron. She had decided to do it, that she would kill him, fight to get Harry out and then kill herself.

Hermione instantly retreated from Harry's mind. Harry suddenly had the access he wanted when he let her see the memory from his point of view. His attack by retreat had worked, and now he realized the mistake he had made. Hermione was not even trying to fight; she had given up entirely. Every horrid memory that existed in her mind was flying at Harry, and it was threatening to drown both of them. Harry fought desperately to pull away from her; he could hear Hermione screaming in terror at what was happening to her. He finally pulled himself away and watched her crash to the floor.

Ron and Ginny were just starting to move to her aide. What had felt like and eternity to both her and Harry had in actuality only been seconds. Harry rushed forward to Hermione, who was trembling uncontrollably. Ginny got there first and Hermione let her take her in her arms, but she wouldn't let Ron near her.

_Oh shit,_ Harry said to himself.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron was pleading with her to look at him.

**"GET AWAY FROM ME!"** Hermione screamed at him. Ron's face turned white, Harry could see his eyes starting to shine as Hermione continued to push him away. He turned to Harry looking for help.

"What did you do?" he asked desperately. Harry knew what was wrong but could not even begin to explain to Ron why Hermione was doing this to him when he wanted to help her.

_How could I have been so stupid?_ he screamed silently to himself.

"Hermione, please," Harry said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She didn't push him away, but wouldn't look at him either.

"It's not your fault, Harry," she whispered. "That was the memory I found." Harry was beyond sick; she had found it because he wanted her to, not by accident.

"Please, Hermione. Don't shut him out," Harry begged her. "He is your husband Mione."

**"AND I DON'T DESERVE HIM!"**

**"AND HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS BY HIS WIFE!"** Ginny roared shocking all of them. They sat in stunned silence for a few seconds.

"Okay, my ears are bleeding…" Harry said quietly, trying to add humor to the room. It did not work as no one heard him. He sighed and started pacing from wall to wall.

"Please, Mione, there is nothing you can do that will make me not love you," Ron said quietly, reaching out his hand to touch her arm. Harry saw her shiver at his touch but she did not pull away from him.

"What happened, Harry?" Ron asked again. Harry sighed deeply. He cleared his mind and let the memory come to the surface. He would show Ron what had set her off, but would tell them later that it was not an accident that she found that memory. He needed to help Hermione and Ron, before he could try and save his friendship with either of them.

"Look in my mind, Ron," Harry said quietly. Ron looked into Harry's eyes. Harry watched as realization came over Ron of what had happened to Hermione.

"Mione, I still love you," Ron whispered. Harry saw Hermione choke at his words.

"How can you?" she asked not meeting his eyes.

"Mione, look at me. My mind is open come in," Ron said quietly. Hermione didn't respond.

"Please?" Ron asked again.

"How can you trust me?" Hermione whispered.

"Mione, look at me," Ron said, reaching out his hand and lifting her chin, their eyes met, and Hermione saw Ron walking forward towards Voldemort reaching out his hand to take the wand from him.

"You will kill them all." She heard Voldemort's voice in Ron's head. Hermione could feel Ron fighting desperately to throw the curse off, the power behind it ten times anything he had fought before. He was failing.

"Help me, Mione." Hermione heard Ron's voice pleading in his own mind for her to help him as he raised the wand at Harry's chest. She could feel the voices in Ron's mind desperately throwing images into his head of her and Ron together; holding hands under the table, kissing each other goodnight, anything and everything that had happened between them the whole year flashed through his head in a second. It wasn't enough; Ron was going to kill Harry and then her. The others would be easy. The words to the killing curse were forming in Ron's mind.

"I'm so sorry, Ronald. I love you." Hermione heard her own voice enter the memory, and felt Ron's head clear. She saw the smile that came over him just before he mouthed the word ready to her, Harry and the others.

"Thank God she was strong enough to make the right decision." Was the last thing she felt come from Ron's memory before she pulled away from him.

"You saved me, Mione. You saved us all, because Harry was too stupid to even defend himself. You made the right choice, Mione," Ron said while holding his hand on the side of her face. Hermione reached up and took his hand in hers.

"You really forgive me?" she asked barely above a whisper, her eyes pleading to believe his words.

"We know that Harry must live long enough to defeat Voldemort or the rest of us will die anyways. Remember I told you; I risked Harry on the chessboard. That was before we knew the truth. What would you say if I risked him now, made such a selfish decision again, would you still love me if I did? There is nothing to forgive. You made the only decision that could have saved me, Mione." Hermione pulled Ron to her and she broke down on his shoulder.

Harry stood up and moved away from them. He had listened to Ron's speech, with an ever-sickening stomach. His two best friends desperately in love with each other were forced to place him before their spouse. He felt like he was going to vomit at the thought. His anger was growing by the second at Voldemort for forcing his friends into the choices they were making. And he still had to tell Hermione and Ron the truth about how Hermione had come across that particular memory in his mind. He was terrified that he would lose them both.

Harry felt Ginny's hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her and her voice came into his mind.

_**"Harry?"**_

_**"She didn't find that memory by accident, Gin. I let her see it, hoping it would shock her, make her weak enough for me to get in her mind."**_

"I'm sorry you hurt her, but not sorry you found a new way to fight." Ginny spoke the words softly into his chest as she pulled him tight.

"Ginny, the first day we did this. She said she trusted me not to hurt her on purpose. Now I have. Am I so desperate to win this fight with Voldemort that I disregard how much pain I cause the people who help me? When does it change from pushing each other to abuse, I feel like I'm only a step away from the path Voldemort walks."

"We all have the option of leaving you, Harry. Hermione and Ron know your heart. They might both be upset, but they will forgive you. You did not realize the depth to which your attack would affect Hermione."

"I should have, Gin, how can I know her like I do, and not realize what that would do to her?" Ginny dropped her eyes from Harry's before replying.

"Harry, you have now reached the level of torment that I have been in ever since you showed me the first prophecy. You must find a way to accept what you have to do. Maybe you should have known how much it would hurt Hermione. But that does not change that you needed to find a new way to fight."

"I could have told her, warned her that I was going to do something different, Gin." Ginny sighed she had to tell him at least part of the truth.

"Harry, the three of us came up with a new way to fight you." Harry looked at Ginny in shock. "A way that might help you fight Tom when the time comes. We all decided not to tell you, because if Tom got in your head he could find out the secret and then it would be useless to you. Hermione is the person who volunteered to test the method on you. If you could have found the strength to beat her the old way, simply by outlasting her, then we knew you would be taking a huge leap forward in the fight against Tom. Instead you found a new way to fight against her. What happened today is as much our fault as it is yours."

"What did you come up with?"

"We're not going to tell you. When the time comes to use it; it is very easy to do. In the meantime, you must go back to fighting against us the old way. You must build your strength and simply fight through the emptiness that Hermione, Ron or I erect against you."

"Ginny please..."

"No, Harry, and you must promise not to try to find it in our minds, or look in our pensieves. You ask yourself if you abuse us, say that you are a step away from the path Tom is on. We ask the same questions when we look at you." Harry closed his eyes against the pain in his heart.

"Ok, Gin, I promise." Harry held Ginny close to him for a long time, gathering the strength to tell Hermione that he had betrayed her trust. Finally he took a deep breath and walked over to Ron and Hermione's bedroom door and knocked softly on it.

"Mione, Ron, may I come in?"

"The door is open, Harry," Ron called to him. Harry took another deep breath and turned the knob. Ron was sitting on their couch with Hermione lying on his lap. She was turned with her face buried in his stomach, her arms wrapped tightly around him. Ron was running his fingers through her hair. Harry felt the bile in his stomach surging again. He stood in the doorway watching them quietly not daring to approach her or Ron.

"Mione?" Hermione sat up Harry could see her wiping her face before she turned to look at him. The puffiness of her face gave away that she had been crying this whole time.

"Mione, I'm sorry," Harry whispered. Hermione got up and started to walk to Harry.

"Harry it wasn't your fault that…."

"No, Hermione, don't come any closer until I have finished." Hermione stopped halfway to Harry, a puzzled look on her face.

"Harry, it wasn't…." she tried again.

"It was, Mione. I gave you that memory on purpose." Harry interrupted her, his voice barely above a whisper looking at the floor while he spoke.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked him quietly, her breath sucking in. Harry forced himself to look up and meet her eyes. She was biting her lip, like she always did when she was trying to control herself. Harry saw her shiver slightly.

_All we can do is apologize,_ the voices urged him.

_Why do I… I mean you always have to be right? _Harry asked the voices. He did not receive an answer.

"Mione, you were so strong, I knew you would beat me, so I tried to attack you by retreating. I found a memory that we had in common. One that I thought would upset you, weaken you….hurt you, and I let you think you had found a way into my mind….When what I was doing was tricking you, so I could attack when you were overwhelmed by the emotions you would feel." Harry paused a moment. Hermione was holding herself now, visibly trembling. Harry felt tears freely flowing down his face. "I'm sorry I betrayed your trust," he finished. Hermione watched him carefully for a minute, before she turned away from him.

"Harry, I think you better leave," she said quietly.

"Yes, Mione." Harry glanced at Ron. "I'm sorry, Ron." He then quickly turned and left the room.

Ron crossed the room and took Hermione in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Mione, this is all my fault. I should never have let you be the one to test this; I should have done it myself." Hermione turned on him.

"Why, so he could have found some way to hurt you instead?" she hissed at him.

"Yes!" Ron replied almost yelling at her. The force of his answer stopped Hermione for a second.

"Mione, he was desperate," Ron continued more calmly. "Did you see his reaction to what Ginny said yesterday when you beat him? He was near where you were an hour ago."

"And that excuses him in your mind," Hermione snapped at him. Ron couldn't stop himself from laughing at the irony of the situation.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" Hermione demanded shaking in anger.

"That I am the one trying to get you to think with your head and not just your heart. It just seems to be quite a role reversal," Ron replied smiling at her.

"Ronald he hurt me, he tried to do it. I know we have been doing that to each other since we started this a few weeks ago, but this went beyond that. He went after the one thing….The worst possible memory he could have found. I had that buried so deep that I did not even remember it. If I had, then I would have put it in the pensieve." Ron sighed, he was trying to save Harry and Hermione's friendship, and he was failing.

"Even if you had, even if Harry had not given you that memory on purpose, you still could have come across it by accident. That was not a memory Harry had put in his pensieve and put back in his mind. He made a desperate decision in what he felt was a desperate situation.

"Mione, if you want to be mad at him, not forgive him, that is your choice, but we all know that it is Harry who has to win. You made the decision to kill me, when Harry would not defend himself. He just did the same thing to you. Remember when you decide what to do that we were the ones to escalate the fight against Harry. Harry has always responded when he had too. I wish with all my heart that he had not done that to you. That is why I should have been the one to test this, but we should have expected Harry to find a new defense against our attack."

Hermione sat down on the couch with her head in her hands, thinking about what Ron had said.

_He's right you know,_ her first said quietly.

_What Harry just did to us, is hardly different than what we were going to do to Ron,_ her third added.

_He chose to hurt me, so he would not feel the pain of Ginny's disappointment in him,_ Hermione argued back at the voices.

_Then take off his necklace,_ the voices snapped at her before they fell silent. Hermione stopped arguing, stunned by what the voices had said to her. She fingered the necklace that Harry had given her the night he had told her he loved her. She had not taken it off since he fixed the clasp around her neck the night she told him no.

_Where did you go?_ Hermione asked after a minute.

_We have nothing left to say, we want to forgive him, have him wrap his arms around us and hold us. Did you see eyes when he apologized? We do not have to be in his mind to know he meant what he was saying. It was all he could do to even look at us. Hermione, he is out there right now afraid that he has lost you. Just like we felt Ron could not possible want us when we saw the memory._

Hermione didn't reply.

_If this had been the final battle, and Harry could win by throwing us away, what decision would you have him make?_

_I would die willingly,_ Hermione snarled angrily at the voices.

_Then be glad he has shown he can, and pray that this doesn't weaken him to the point that he won't next time,_ her second voice said quietly.

"You're right," Hermione whispered.

"What was that?" Ron asked quietly. He had been sitting on their bed watching her.

"I love him too much to turn my back on him. It's just not fair that I have to put him in front of you, because that is not what my heart wants, Ronald," Hermione said quietly.

"If it was just Harry, then I would agree with you, but we are talking about the world as we know it if you save me instead of Harry, can you live with that? I know I could never look at you again if I did that because I know you could never love anyone so selfish. Harry didn't do that just to save himself from Ginny. He did it so he could fight Voldemort, that trick may be what allows him to win." Hermione stood up and crossed the floor to Ron she pushed him back on the bed and lay down on his chest.

"Hold me for a minute, Love." Ron wrapped his arms around her, letting her melt into him. He held her for a short time, running his fingers through her hair.

"Go forgive him, Mione," Ron whispered to her.

Hermione knocked on the door to Harry and Ginny's room and not waiting for a response, she cautiously entered. Harry was sitting on his and Ginny's bed. Ginny was behind him just sitting with her hand on his back. She could see Harry's shoulders heaving, even though she could not see his face, she knew he was crying. Ginny turned to see Hermione, who walked across the room to the bed.

"I'll wait in the sitting area for you," Ginny said, getting up from the bed and closing the door behind her as she left. Hermione sat down on the bed and put her arms around Harry.

"Mione…."

"Hush, Harry, I accept that you are sorry. Accept my forgiveness," she whispered.

"You don't know how much you mean to me, Mione," Harry said his voice breaking.

"I think I do, Harry, because you mean that much to me. Have you ever noticed that I never take your necklace off? I wear it every day to remind me what your love is. I even asked Ron to never by me a necklace because I did not want to take this one off." Harry reached up and put his hand on hers.

"I have noticed, Mione. Ron doesn't mind?"

"Ron said that he already knew I would never take it off. That he had already decided he would never buy me a necklace." Harry turned to look at her.

"What did I ever do to deserve friends like you and Ron?"

"You're you, Harry," Hermione said taking his hands in hers.

"Thank you for loving me Hermione." Hermione flashed a smile at Harry, not the one she gave Ron, but it was one that Harry recognized as belonging to him.

"Come on, Harry. Ron and I are sleeping in the sitting area tonight. We would like it if you and Ginny did too." Harry smiled at her.

"Ok, Mione," he agreed, letting her lead him out of the room.

The warm sun shown brightly through the windows of the flat Harry and Ginny shared with Ron and Hermione. A gentle breeze blew across the room carrying the scents of summer on it. The peacefulness of it distracted Harry as he watched Ron, Hermione and Ginny move memories in and out of their pensieves. The three of them had been spending a lot of time doing this ever since the incident with Hermione four weeks ago. Harry didn't think it was possible, but he and Hermione were even closer now than before. Ron had not been mad at him at all. Instead he was angry at himself for putting Hermione in the position he did.

Harry had no clue what new defense they had come up with. It had taken him two weeks of training to get past Ron and Hermione after the first time they had used it on him. And even though he had finally done it, they had gotten stronger each time they fought. All of them were growing exponentially. And the defense of their minds, Harry's included, had begun to change.

No longer was it like standing in a white cloud as you tried to enter their mind. It had started, a few weeks ago, to turn grey and cold. Gradually becoming darker until it had turned black. The blackness had a suffocating weight to it. That Harry thought, felt like what it would be like to be buried alive. Being in their minds was like no longer like standing in a dense fog. And even that continued to grow in its heaviness. Ginny was the last test; it took him a week to beat her the first time. Harry had felt immense relief that it could not get too much harder to fight them. It was short lived.

After a week of successfully beating Hermione, Ron and Ginny whenever they fought, something had changed again. Yesterday, Hermione's mind had been beyond empty, she had fought him for seven hours before they had both quit. He had wondered if she had put every memory she had into her pensieve. He had also been surprised that Ginny was not upset; she seemed to have changed tactics with him since he had brutally attacked Hermione. She had merely told him to make sure he was not holding anything back because of the incident, if he was, then he would feel her wrath. Hermione and Ron had said the same thing. Harry shook his head.

He was glad it was his birthday tomorrow. They were going to take the day off, and play. The plan was to spend most of the day at the lake swimming or chasing each other around as lions. Harry was definitely looking forward to it. Ginny swore to him that there was no party this year, and Harry hoped she was telling him the truth. He just wanted to sit with his wife and two best friends and enjoy the time together.  
Harry watched Ginny put the last of a number of silvery strands from her pensieve back into her mind. She looked up and caught him watching her. Ginny smiled at him, but there seemed to be something wrong in it.

"What?" Harry asked her, puzzled by her apparent unease.

"Harry, we have to change how we are fighting against you again, you are not getting stronger any more." Harry groaned inwardly.

_This can't be good,_ the voices said to him.

"Harry, I talked with Dumbledore yesterday, he said there were only two ways to push you further than we have," Ron said quietly. Hermione was twirling the contents of her pensieve. She appeared to be afraid to look at him.

"Well?" Harry asked quietly, when no one seemed to be willing to give him an answer. Ron sighed.

"One thing we can do is put all of our memories from the pensieves back in our minds. We will fight harder to keep you out, the more at risk we are. You will break through even that soon enough. It is not going to do much for you."

"I assume you are all going to do it anyways?" Harry replied feeling sick to his stomach.

"Yes, we all just finished getting ready for it," Hermione replied, finally looking at him. Harry noticed that there was still some silvery liquid in each of their pensieves." She caught his question before he asked it.

"These are not memories, so much as information that needs to be hidden from you until the time comes to fight Voldemort," she said quietly. Harry nodded at her.

"I understand. You mentioned a second thing you can do to teach me to reach deeper, find some way of tolerating more pain, Ron?" Harry saw Hermione look away from him again;  
he thought he saw her lip starting to tremble.

"Ron, please don't," Ginny whispered, her eyes starting to shine brightly. Harry looked at Ron expectantly; knowing the answer to his question had to be horrible if Ginny was not strong enough to face it.

"Well?" he asked.

"You can train against the _Cruciatus curse_," Ron answered him before turning away. Harry blinked but didn't say anything.

_How?_ his first asked him.

_By separating our mind from our body,_ a new fourth voice answered.

_Explain what you mean,_ Harry said to the voice.

_It is similar to what we are doing with occulmency and legilimency. We are separating our memories from who we are, to block an outside force from seeing them. With this an outside force is sending pain at us, at our nerve endings. We need to be able to separate that sensation out, block it, or shunt it to a spot that dose not matter._

_What do you mean does not matter?_ Harry's second asked.

_Well Harry could direct all the pain from the curse to me. I imagine that I would be in agony, but as long as he or you three maintain your sanity, once the curse stops, I should be ok. We should all be ok,_ the fourth voice replied.

_You're insane,_ the other three voices said together.

_Dumbledore would not have mentioned it if there was no way to fight it,_ the fourth voice responded.

_There is a way to fight it, it's called a shield spell, you may have heard of it - Protego - and there is no pain,_ Harry's third voice said in exasperation."

_Enough,_ Harry said. _There must be a way to tolerate the pain if Dumbledore suggested it._

_Fine! Just make sure if you try it, that you let him deal with the pain,_ Harry's first three voices spat at him.

"How can I train against the curse when none of you are capable of correctly casting it at me?" Harry asked. If Harry could have seen their faces he would have noticed them all flinching.

"The first unspeakable from the DA meeting, the one who did all the talking," Ron said quietly, "Dumbledore will ask him to do it if we choose to train against it."

"What do you mean we?" Harry said angrily.

"You and I, Harry. I have suffered the same pain as you for the last year, longer even, that will not change now. If you train for this then I will too," Ron replied just as angrily.

"No you won't, Ron." Harry said keeping his voice calm and even. "I won't allow it."

"Yes we will, and you have no say in what we do, Harry," Hermione snapped at him. Ron and Harry turned on her, fighting with each other but united against her.

"Hermione, I forbid you to do this," Ron said angrily.

"I do too. Neither you nor Ginny will train against the _Cruciatus curse_."

"You may ask me not to do something, but you will not forbid me to do anything, Harry," Ginny interjected into the fight, her eyes blazing at him.

"Nor will you forbid me to do anything, Ronald," Hermione said quietly to him. Harry and Ron both stopped, very aware that they were dangerously close to pushing their wives too far. Harry opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Ron turned to him, and they looked at each other.

_**"Now what do we do?"**_ Harry thought to Ron.

_**"I have no idea,"**_ Ron replied.

"There must be some way to fight the curse. If there is, would either of you think to deny us the right to protect ourselves?" Hermione asked.

"Or would you prefer to visit us along with Neville's parents at St. Mungo's everyday for the rest of your lives," Ginny added. That got both Harry and Ron's attention.

"I am going to kill Dumbledore," Ron hissed venomously to no one in particular.

"Not if I get to him first," Harry replied kicking the chair in front of him across the room.

"You both know there is only one person to blame for this," Hermione snapped at them.

"And him, I am going to kill," Harry said his voice cold and emotionless. And this time Harry knew he had taken the final step. When the time came, if he had the knowledge, he would be able to kill Voldemort. The four of them stood there lost in their own thoughts for a minute or two.

"Did Dumbledore give you any ideas on how to fight the _Cruciatus curse_?" Harry asked Ron. They all listened while Ron answered the question.

_I told you,_ Harry's fourth said to him.

_You're still going to be the one who gets to deal with the pain,_ the other three voices replied.

_Whatever,_ the fourth voice answered them.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you in mine and Hermione's room,"  
Ron said breaking into Harry's thoughts.

"Mione, why don't you and Harry go ahead with the Occlumency for today. Let's exhaust that before we move to the _Cruciatus curse_," he added before closing the door on them.


	6. Happy Birthday

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 6 Happy Birthday

Harry woke up on his birthday to find Ginny watching him again. She smiled brightly at him when he opened his eyes."

_**"Hello Harry."**_ The thought came into his head.

_**"How long have you been waiting for me to wake up?"**_

_**"About an hour,"**_ Ginny replied. She smiled at him expectantly. Harry felt himself blushing.

_**"What?"**_ Ginny asked.

_**"I have something for you. It's a dream though, and it is kind of embarrassing,"**_ Harry replied.

_**"What?"**_ Ginny asked again. Harry leaned over and whispered into her ear. Then lay back down in front of her.

_**"Show me,"**_ Ginny whispered in his mind.

Harry let the memory come to the surface of his mind. Ginny latched onto it and a short while later she brought a memory of her own dream to the surface of her mind and they let them intermingle with each other. A while later, both breathing heavily with flushed faces, they retreated from each other's minds.

"Wow," Ginny said quietly, as she pushed him onto his back and lay with her chin propped on her fist on his chest. She giggled a moment later when his eyes met hers.

"I'm not sure, but is it possible to still be…you know, after that?" she asked. Harry's face burned red as she smiled up at him

"You have very interesting dreams, Mrs. Potter," he said grinning impishly at her.

"Me? What about you? You, prat," Ginny snapped playfully at him. Harry laughed and pulled her so she was completely on top of him.

"I don't know about you, but it is my birthday, and I'm going to have a lie in," he said as she settled into him.

Harry started awake a few hours later.

"Bridgette?" he whispered.

_**"Help me, Harry,"**_ Bridgette called to him in his mind. Ginny woke up a second later.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked seeing the look on his face.

"It's Bridgette, Gin. Her voice is in my head, she says she needs help." Ginny jumped out of bed and pulled open a dresser drawer.

"How can she be in your mind?" Ginny frantically searched through her drawer.

"I don't know, Gin."

"What about Tom, do you feel anything from him?" Ginny asked as she pulled a chocolate frog card of Dumbledore out of the drawer.

Harry closed his eyes and focused his mind on Voldemort. He felt him, but without putting in a great deal of effort he could tell he was not going to get in. Voldemort had indeed learned from their last encounter. He had been training to be able to keep Harry out just like Harry had been training to get in.

_"Reveal!"_ Ginny demanded, waving her wand over the card. "Go! Find Bridgette!" she ordered the photo of herself that was affixed to the back of the card. She then quickly started to get dressed.

"What are you doing, Gin?" Harry asked.

"What does it look like? Get up, go get Ron and Hermione," Ginny snapped at him. Harry jumped out of bed throwing on clothes as quickly as he could.

"Ginny!" Harry heard the picture scream at her.

"What?"

"She is with Neville, at his grandmother's house. Cho and Luna are there too, they are fighting a bunch of Death Eaters right now," the photo yelled at her frantically.

"Harry, take this card, get Ron and Hermione and go to the Headmaster," Ginny said, shoving it at him.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, scrambling to finish dressing.

"I'm going to help her," Ginny said quickly and before Harry could say anything she kissed him, transformed into her Animagus and was gone in a flash of light.

Harry burst through the door to Ron and Hermione's room. Hermione screamed at the surprise.

"Bloody…."

"Shut up, Ron," Harry yelled at him. "Both of you get dressed, and get to Dumbledore's office as quick as you can." He then turned and ran out of the room.

"Fawkes, take this portkey to Ginny, she is at Neville's grandmother's house," Professor Dumbledore said, tossing the small broken globe to the phoenix, who disappeared a second later. He then raised his wand and shot a silvery substance out of it, which raced to the hospital wing.

"This day just got much worse," he remarked quietly to himself as he sent another silvery jet racing in the direction of St. Mungo's. Dumbledore then headed for the hospital wing himself.

Ginny apparated into the middle of a war zone. She stayed in her phoenix form assessing the situation. Neville was down, along with his grandmother. Luna and Cho were caught in a binding spell. Cho was screaming in agony, obviously under the effects of the Cruciatus curse. Luna was slumped over next to her. Bridgette, her head held up by a Death Eater, was being forced to watch. There were five Death Eaters in their long black hooded cloaks and white masks still standing, and what looked like four or five who were down and possibly dead.

Ginny was nearly as smart as Hermione, she spent almost as much time in the library, and she spent even more time sneaking into the restricted section. She was easily as creative, and was much more powerful. If she lived through the war, she would easily become the most powerful witch to have ever lived, and might even rival Merlin himself. These junior Death Eaters. Even now, still a few days shy of her sixteenth birthday; they were nothing to her.

Ginny changed forms and attacked, hitting the Death Eater who was cursing Cho with a stunning spell that had the power of a bolt of lightning; it threw him fifty yards across the open field. The other death eaters turned on her.

They were the first to actually pay the price of the full fury of the third friend named in the second prophecy. Dumbledore had only gotten a taste, a few more blasts from Ginny and he would have been forced to actually fight back.

Ginny cast a phoenix spell that split and raced to protect each of the five people she was here to fight for, leaving one to defend her. Stunning bolts, each growing in power, flew from her wand hitting the Death Eaters who were already lying on the ground, ensuring that none of them would get up during the battle with the remaining four. Wands flew to her from their motionless forms, disintegrating into powder as the crushing spell hit them.

With the first spell cast at her, she conjured a shield like the one Voldemort had used to deflect the blast from Dumbledore in the Ministry last year. But Ginny had modified the shield. The spell hit with the same ringing gong, but instead of deflecting off in a random direction, it reflected back at the Death Eater who had cast it. He fell to the ground in a heap.

Ginny did not know it but he was dying, and no Healer, or Muggle doctor could have saved him. The spell he cast, the same one used on Hermione in the Ministry fight. A horrid dark curse _Eviscerate_, that when it struck Hermione had been weakened because the man could not speak the incantation to the curse.

Hermione had been lucky, the curse only slightly damaging her internal organs. This Death Eater was not; the full force of the curse hit him and shredded his internal organs as if they had been put through a meat grinder. Blood was burbling out of his mouth before he hit the ground.

The other three Death Eaters, already forgetting that Bridgette's phoenix stopped the death curse, tried to use it on Ginny. Their spells were immediately devoured by her phoenix, which split into three to take the incoming bolts.

Ginny dissaparated as the death curses raced to her and reappeared directly behind the Death Eater who had been holding Bridgette's head up. Her phoenix flashed to be near her.

Ginny's stunning bolt hit the Death Eater from less than a foot away. She was thrown forward slamming her head into a tree, crushing her skull and breaking her neck. Ginny spun on the other two death eaters, wrapping them in an anti-apparation spell. Their wands were ripped from their hands and disintegrated in the air halfway to her, their mouths sealed shut; they could not even cry out for their master to save them.

Ginny turned around in a circle releasing Cho and Luna from the binding spells, catching them with a levitation spell before they fell to the ground. She surveyed the area. Nothing was moving except her.

Suddenly she heard the sound of a phoenix singing. Fawkes flew into view and dropped the portkey into her hand. The bird floated in front of her. Ginny's eyes met those of the phoenix and Dumbledore's voice thundered directly into her mind.

_**"YOU RISK THE WORLD WITH YOUR RASHNESS. GATHER ANY YOU CAN, HIT THE PORTKEY WITH YOUR WAND AND LEAVE THIS INSTANT."**_

Ginny was astounded, fuming mad, but moved anyways. She quickly summoned all four of her friends, and Neville's grandmother to her, made sure they were all touching the portkey and tapped it with her wand. Fawkes watched her tap the portkey and dissaparated again.

Ginny had left Harry in their bedroom less than five minutes ago.

Moments after Ginny and Fawkes left the field, a tall skeletal figure appeared in a whirling of its cloak.

"Where did she go!?" he roared. Peter Pettigrew scurried forward to his master. He had hidden throughout the fight, watching the battle for the Dark Lord, looking to see if one of the four he sought would come to the aid of any that were attacked this morning.

"Master," Peter sniveled, cowering on the ground in front of him after changing to his human form, "I did as you asked. Please do not punish me," he begged the Dark Lord.

"Answer me servant," Voldemort hissed at him.

"Master, I do not know. She summoned the bodies of the five that we attacked and they all disappeared seconds before you arrived."

"Look at me, Wormtail," Voldemort said in his icy voice.

"Master, please."

"You did as I asked, Wormtail, you have nothing to fear unless you lie, now look at me." Peter slowly raised his eyes to the Dark Lord, and the memory of that morning's battle was ripped from his mind.

"How did she get here, Wormtail?" The calmness of the question belied the danger that Wormtail was in right now. Voldemort lived in a state beyond anger and hatred and now, pure evil oozed from his body. She had obviously used a portkey to escape, but how she had arrived, Peter had not seen unless he was lying or hiding something from him.

"Master, you have seen my mind, I did not see her arrival. I only knew she was here when the first stunning bolt hit Flint." A small smile played across Voldemort's mouth.

"You are right, Wormtail, your worthless mind could not hope to hide anything from me." Voldemort summoned his servants to him.

"Are any of them alive, Wormtail?"

"Master, only the two she bound in the anti-apparation spell," Peter answered cowering before him after checking on the others. Voldemort looked at the two young Death Eaters before him.

"You have failed me, do not speak," he hissed at them dangerously as he released the spell sealing their mouths shut. "You are lucky I want to hear you scream for mercy instead of allowing you to starve to death." Wormtail began to relax slightly now that Voldemort's attention was directed elsewhere. The two Death Eaters, however, began to shake violently at his words.

"Come Wormtail we must leave. The Aurors are on their way, Voldemort dissaparated taking Wormtail and the two surviving Death Eaters with him.

The Aurors appeared moments later, finding the fight over, they began to gather the bodies of the dead, trampling the strange silvery worms into the ground beneath their feet as the searched the area, eight in all were found.

Harry ran like he had never run before. He reached the stone Gargoyles shouting the password at them. They turned to him, but the stairs did not rotate.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?" Harry thundered at them

"He is in the hospital wing," the gargoyle on the left answered.

"Wh….What?" Harry stammered, and then when the words registered in his mind he turned and ran back the other way, slamming into Ron as he rounded the corner. They crashed to the floor together, Harry scrambled back to his feet, and without stopping to help Ron up he was gone again, only just registering Hermione as he went by her.

"Harry!" she screamed at him.

"Hospital wing, Ginny," Harry yelled back at her as he rounded another corner. Hermione skidded to a stop and turned to follow him.

"What did he say?" Ron demanded, as he caught up to Hermione grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him.

"Something about the hospital wing and Ginny," Hermione replied frantically. She suddenly found herself moving even faster.

Harry burst through the doors of the hospital wing looking around desperately for Dumbledore.

"Sir, I need a portkey!" Harry yelled as he raced up to him. Though he was anything but calm, Dumbledore mastered himself.

"Calm yourself, Harry. Your wife will be here shortly," he replied as he stroked Fawkes's tail feathers.

"What?" Harry stopped.

"Sir I have to go…."

"Harry, what in the bloody hell is going on!?" Ron yelled bursting through the doors.

"Where is Ginny?" Hermione demanded. Harry spun around to face them, just as Ginny arrived with her five casualties, crashing into Ron and Hermione and sending everyone tumbling to the floor.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled running to her and pulling her from the floor.

"I'm ok," Ginny quickly said to him before he could go any further over the edge than he was. Ron and Hermione managed to extract themselves from the mess of tangled bodies and get to their feet.

"Ronald, Hermione, quickly get them on the beds. There is not much time." Dumbledore said forcefully to them. He did not even try to get through to Harry or Ginny. It took Ron half a second to figure out that the people around his feet were severely injured. He and Hermione quickly began to levitate them onto the hospital beds. A few moments later several other people arrived by portkey in the hospital wing. Harry was vaguely aware of Professor McGonagall rushing past him into the hospital; closing the doors behind her as one of the other new arrivals dragged him, Ron, Hermione and Ginny into the waiting area just outside. He rounded on them all a second later.

"Ginevra Potter, if what the headmaster has told me is true, that was quite possibly one of the bravest acts I have ever heard of…. It is also quite possibly the stupidest." Harry blinked in surprise. He had only seen Remus Lupin this angry once in the four years he had known him. That was the time he rescued Harry from Professor Snape during his third year, he had confiscated the marauders map from Harry then and given him a tongue lashing he had thoroughly deserved.

"Now you four are all free to go anywhere you want, no one can stop you. I cannot order you to do this, so I am begging you, all of you, to not leave the castle for any reason other than Voldemort appearing in the hallway. Do I make myself clear?" The four of them stared at him in stunned silence

"Is that too much to ask of you?" he demanded.

"No, Professor," Hermione replied quietly.

"Good! Now you may either wait here, or in your flat. I will be with you whatever your choice. My instructions are to not let any of you out of my sight," he finished, glaring at Ginny, who having recovered from her shock at his outburst, returned his look with equal anger.

"We will be waiting here," she snarled at him.

"I thought so," Lupin answered his tone softening as he sat down. "Ginny, in a little while, you will, I hope, understand my anger. In the meantime please sit down I'm sure you are tired."

Harry pulled Ginny to one of the couches that lined the hallway outside the hospital wing. Ron and Hermione moved to join them and had only been sitting for a few moments when the doors to the hospital wing opened causing all five of them to jump back up.

"Bridgette is requesting to see the four of you. Remus, you may join them if you would like," Professor Dumbledore said to them. All of them noticed that there were tears on his cheeks.

"Sir?" Harry asked.

"She does not have much time. I am sorry, Harry." Harry felt his knees buckle. Remus caught him, Harry couldn't think, his head was spinning, and he felt his heart being ripped from his chest again. Just like the time Sirius fell through the veil. Ginny, Hermione and Ron were no better.

_She can't die on us,_ the voices cried out in agony in Harry's mind.

"Harry, you must go see her," Remus said, breaking through the haze. "All of you, you must honor her request." Harry felt himself moving forward. He realized that Ginny was crushing his hand in hers as they moved through the doors to the hospital.

Ron and Hermione were in an utter state of confusion. No one had had time to explain to them what had happened yet. They only knew that Ginny had arrived by portkey in the hospital wing unharmed, but that she had brought five people with her.

One of them was Bridgette, a girl who had dated Harry, served as both Hermione and Ginny's attendant at their weddings less than two months ago. She was their closest friend after Harry and Ginny, and now they were being told she was dying.

Ginny followed along behind Professor Dumbledore as he led them to Bridgette's bed. Not registering that only two of the four other beds that had curtains up around them had healers working on the people in them.

Ginny moved into Bridgette's view. Bridgette's eyes were glazed but open, and when she saw Ginny they cleared slightly. She smiled weakly and raised her hand to her. Ginny gathered her strength and walked to her, taking her hand and moving to run her other hand through Bridgette's hair.

"Hi, Bridge," Ginny whispered to her.

"Gin, you would have been proud of me. I fought them," Bridgette said her voice barely a whisper.

"I know you did, Bridgette." Ginny replied smiling at her with tears flowing down her face. Bridgette almost laughed, but it turned into a choking cough.

"Bridgette, you can still fight," Harry said placing his hand on Bridgette's and Ginny's. Ron and Hermione had moved to the other side of the bed and taken her other hand.

"Don't give up yet, Bridgette. You can live through this," Hermione pleaded with her. Bridgette smiled at them.

"Look at the four of you, my big strong protectors, needing strength from me," Bridgette teased them. "You would have been proud of all of us. They attacked us but we fought. They tried to use the killing curse on me but I made my first _Phoenix charm_. Neville's Grandmother killed that one. I killed one of them. I think Luna got two of them and Cho killed one….By then they had taken Neville out. Luna and Cho got hit with the binding curse…." Bridgette started to cough again. She managed to stop and tried to continue.

"Shush, Bridgette. It's ok. We're proud of you," Harry stopped her.

"Harry?" Bridgette focused on him again.

"I'm here, Bridgette," Harry replied refusing to let his voice crack.

"Never forget me, Harry. The only place I can fight anymore is in your heart."

"Bridgette, please," Harry begged her.

"Hermione, you were beautiful in your dress." Bridgette said ignoring Harry. "Ronald, it will be your laugh that I miss the most….Ginny thank you for showing me a path and giving my life a purpose. The bastards never got a word out of me," she snarled forcefully.

"I love you, Bridgette," Ginny whispered, leaning down to lay on her chest. Bridgette pulled her hand away from Ron and Hermione to lay it on Ginny's head.

"I don't know how you got there Gin, but thank you for coming. I know the rest of you would have come if you could. I will be waiting for you when it's your time to come through the veil. Never forget me all of you."

"Never Bridgette," they all replied together. Bridgette smiled at them again.

"Harry?"

"I'm still here, Bridgette."

"Happy Birthday Harry." Bridgette whispered and then she closed her eyes for the last time.

Ginny felt her chest rise and fall a few more times, and then Bridgette stopped breathing. She tried to will Bridgette's chest to rise again, she had done it with Harry, but it would not. A few moments later Ginny heard Bridgette's heart stop beating. She then finally broke down completely along with Harry, Ron and Hermione.


	7. The Healer

**Harry Potter and the Unlocked Mind**

Chapter 7 

**The Healer**

Harry stood at the side of Bridgette's bed, the pain of her death coursing through him. The last words she spoke were to wish him happy birthday, they reverberated in his head. Harry wanted nothing more than to never have another birthday again. It would mark the day of her death for the rest of his life. He knew that Voldemort had picked this day on purpose.

Harry looked at Bridgette's face. She seemed to only be sleeping, just like Ginny had for four weeks not so long ago. He could feel her hand in his, but where Ginny's had always had something in it to indicate she was there, somewhere, just looking for a way to come home. Bridgette's was dead; already the heat of her life was fading from it. Harry shook his head, regaining his senses and gently pulled Ginny away from Bridgette. She turned into his embrace clutching at his shirt, her tears soaking through it as he held her.

He looked around at the other beds in the hospital, taking in the scene in front of him. Ron and Hermione huddled together on the floor, as devastated as he and Ginny, Remus Lupin stood with tears in his eyes saying his last goodbye to Bridgette, Professor Dumbledore was trying to comfort Professor McGonagall. Bridgette and she had been close; she had shown a particular gift for transfiguration. All this pain and suffering, and he did not even know the condition of his other friends. His anger began to rise, replacing the pain in his heart. He knew he did not have the answer to end this yet, but there was a piece of his training that could begin. It did not have to wait. Harry pulled Ginny with him to Ron and Hermione.

Ron and Hermione looked up at Harry and Ginny. Harry could tell that Ron was seething with anger. Hermione, while she had tears in her eyes, was in much the same state. Ginny held her hand out to Hermione and Ron, and helped them get to their feet. Together the four of them walked to Professor Dumbledore. Ginny spoke for all of them.

"You find that Unspeakable, and you get him here." Her voice was a whisper, yet it carried more force than the noise of a hurricane.

"And if he is not capable of performing the curse, get Professor Snape. I'm sure he would love nothing more than to cast it at us," Hermione added, her own voice a whisper of command that only someone wishing to die would disregard.

Dumbledore surveyed them over his glasses. He had expected this, that they would all choose to train against the curse, but the level of motivation they had now was almost dangerous. These four students were the dream of any teacher. Not because they were gifted, but because they cared.

Each of them would have become powerful sorcerers under normal circumstances. Lesser people would have cracked under the turmoil that these four lived with. Instead they only got stronger, and they rallied people to them without trying. Dumbledore himself was continually amazed by each of them.

"You understand the danger of preparing for this, one second more than you are ready for, and you risk permanent damage to your minds," Dumbledore replied gravely to them. Harry was just about to respond to him when a blood curdling scream ripped through the hospital wing.

_"FINITE INCANTANUM!"_ A voice roared from behind one of the screens. The screaming ended an instant later. Professor Dumbledore bolted to the bed followed, closely by Harry, and the others.

"Is he alright?" Dumbledore demanded, of the Healers that were now moving to help their colleague who was lying on the floor.

"Yes, Albus, I will be alright," the man answered for himself, as he struggled to his feet. Harry took note that he was very old, probably as old as Professor Dumbledore. He also looked to be near exhausted.

"She however, will not be. Unless someone more capable than I, can find her before the rest of her brain shuts down," the man said. Harry looked to the bed quickly. Cho Chang was laying there, the same blank look in her eyes as Harry had seen in Neville's parents.

The debate raged in Dumbledore's mind.

_We could possibly do it,_ his second said to him.

_And risk death. We do not place our life before hers, but in this war, there is no doubt whom Harry needs more. We cannot take the chance to help her,_ his fourth replied.

_There is one who could, she has played her role,_ his first added quietly. Dumbledore turned to Hermione.

"Hermione," he said quietly.

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"All four of you and myself could possibly help her. It will be just like breaking into Harry, Ginny, or Ronald's mind. If you can get through her defense, and lead her to the surface she will be able to make a full recovery.

"But there is a difference. When you fight with Harry or the others, you have the choice to leave their minds before you are hurt or killed. If you attempt to enter Cho's mind, her defense will not let you leave by your choice. She will hold you until you free her, she kills you, or we extract you by force as was done with Healer Marchbanks. And the extraction is not always safe. In fact, it becomes more dangerous the longer you have been linked.

_Oh no he doesn't,_ the voices said in alarm in Harry's head.

_If anyone takes this risk, it will be us!_ Harry's second screamed at him.

"I'll try, Professor," Harry said, pushing Hermione out of the way.

"No, Harry, you will not," Professor Dumbledore said, stepping in front of him.

"Why not? I'm the strongest, and you know it," Harry replied angrily.

"Because you cannot be risked to save Cho's life," Dumbledore answered calmly. Ron's head was spinning through the prophecies, analyzing the role each of them had to play. 

_Why is he talking to Hermione?_ he asked the voices.

_Because Harry must fight Voldemort,_ his second replied.

_We have not come up with the final plan yet,_ his third added.

_Ginny has yet to give us the key to victory,_ Ron added himself. _But Hermione has played her role she could be risked without damaging Harry's chances of defeating Voldemort._

_And why not Dumbledore?_ his first asked angrily.

_Because we need a teacher,_ Ron replied, closing his eyes in disgust.

"Harry, it does not matter that you are the strongest. Professor Dumbledore is fighting a war. You are his sword; he cannot risk you. I am the General, who has yet to give you a plan, he cannot risk me. Ginny holds the key to victory, which we have not found. She cannot be risked. Dumbledore is the teacher we all need, he cannot risk himself," Ron finished speaking. He had not opened his eyes the whole time, afraid that he would start crying. Hermione listened to Ron and she understood why Dumbledore had addressed her to begin with.

"But I have fulfilled my part in the prophecy," she said quietly. "I can be risked to save Cho." Harry had turned to look at Ron when he started speaking; he listened to Hermione finish the explanation, and saw Ron flinch when she spoke.

"You do not have to do this, Hermione," Ginny said quietly moving behind her and taking her in her arms.

"Yes, Ginny, I do," Hermione replied. Ron sank to his knees next to her holding his hands behind his head. Harry wanted to argue, but knew his friends and Dumbledore were right. He stormed away across the room, kicking a wastebasket in frustration. Hermione put her hand on Ron's shoulder. He reached up and took it in his. Pulling it to his lips, he kissed her fingers gently.

"Come back to me, Love," he whispered to her. Hermione placed her hand on the side of his face, lifting his eyes to hers.

"I promise, Ronald," she then turned and walked to Cho's bed, locking her eyes on Cho's she raised her wand to her. _"Legilimens!"_

The Cruciatus curse, like all methods of torture was used to inflict pain, stop, and then get information from a person too weak to resist or put up with more punishment. All methods of torture could push a person's brain to shut down, killing them because their brain refused to deal with the pain anymore.

Cho's brain had not quite reached that point. It had erected the only defense it could come up with, locking away who she was in one area of her mind and diverting the pain being inflicted on her to another part.

The problem with this was, unlike Hermione, or any other sorcerer who had developed different selves; Cho's mind was not capable of being broken in two. The part of her mind that had been forced to deal with the pain of the curse had no way of communicating with the part of her mind that retained who she was.

Cho did not know she was no longer being cursed. If someone could get past the barrier her mind had developed quickly enough she would recover. If it took too long to find her, her mind would not be able to meld into one again and she would be forever trapped in the defense she had created.

The strength of the protection erected by the person being tortured was a function of how long they had fought the curse without it. The Healers had underestimated with Cho, thinking she was too young to have fought more than fifteen to twenty minutes before her mind split. Based on that guess, they had allowed for Healer Marchbanks to spend an hour in her mind before they would forcibly extract him. 

Cho had spent a total of almost seventy minutes under the effects of the Cruciatus curse before the split occurred. This miscalculation had resulted in Cho completely draining the Healer in less than half an hour. Only his scream had let the other Healers know that he needed to be saved before their estimate.

"Albus, this girl cannot possibly hope to get through what I did not," Healer Marchbanks said stepping next to Hermione. "She must not be allowed more than ten or fifteen minutes in her mind. Ron and Harry forced their way between the Healer and Hermione, each gently touching her on the back. Ginny had moved near Cho's head and was whispering softly into her ear.

Harry interjected himself into the discussion. "Tell me what you saw?" Healer Marchbanks looked at Harry and Ron in astonishment at being forced out of the way.

"Who do you think you are?" He demanded of Harry. Harry returned his glare.

"Next to her husband I am the best friend this girl has," Harry shot at him. "Now tell me what you saw in Cho's mind." Healer Marchbanks turned to Dumbledore.

"Albus this is crazy."

"David, answer the question," Dumbledore replied forcefully.

"Albus, I saw nothing, no thoughts, no memories, a blank slate," he replied in exasperation." Harry groaned to himself.

_The best way to get the information would be to see the memory,_ the voices said to Harry.

"Healer Marchbanks, may I look in your mind?" Harry asked quietly.

"Why?"

"I want to see what you saw when you were in Cho's mind, I want to know what you felt. I will then be able to tell you how long Hermione can stay in Cho's mind before she must be taken out."

"How will that tell you? Miss Chang is draining energy like nothing I have ever seen, beyond what your Headmaster has ever done to me when helping me train for this."

"Then look in my mind and tell me if Cho is stronger than I am," Harry replied. Healer Marchbanks looked at him in exasperation.

"Son, I know who you are, but you cannot honestly think you are stronger than your Headmaster. Only the great trauma Miss Chang has suffered has allowed her to erect such a powerful defense."

"David, we run out of time to save two lives, what can it hurt to do what Harry asks you?" Dumbledore said him. The Healer looked at Professor Dumbledore shaking his head. 

"Very well, we will look in each other's minds together," he said turning back to Harry and raising his wand.

"I need you to let me see your memories of being in Cho's mind," Harry replied as they locked their eyes on each other.

"You're forgetting your wand, Harry."

"I don't need it," Harry answered, his mind registering the surprise on the Healer's face at his statement.

"Shall we then?" Healer Marchbanks asked. Harry nodded at him.

_"Legilimens!"_ they said together. Harry saw the memory of Healer Marchbank's time in Cho's mind. He concentrated every once of his energy on understanding the feeling, the rate at which Cho had taken the Healer's strength from him.

David Marchbanks, for the second time that day was completely overwhelmed. Cho's mind had been a solid white wall, the best defense he had ever come across. He had known the moment he entered her mind that he would never last the hour that had been allotted. He had spent the whole time trying to get out. Where his scream of terror had come from he did not know. No one had ever been able to give such an obvious indication of a need for help.

Harry's mind by comparison was not a white wall. It was black, as black as the deepest cave at the bottom of the deepest ocean. A darkness that it appeared had never seen light. Unless Harry chose to let him, he would never in a thousand years penetrate it. If he did not leave Harry's mind quickly, he would be dead in a few minutes. Nevertheless, he attempted to stay as long as he could.

"Thank you, Healer Marchbanks," Harry said, as he released him and pulled himself out of the Healer's mind.

"You're welcome….I think," he replied, as he collapsed into a chair that Professor Dumbledore had set behind him. Harry turned over in his mind what he had felt while in the Healer's mind. Cho's defense was strong. Hermione, if she was strong today, could beat it. Today, however, was not turning out to be a normal day, Harry looked at his watch. It was only 11:30 am. Harry could hardly believe that he and Ginny had peacefully shared their minds with each other less than four hours ago. Hermione was either going to be weak from the rest of the day's events or she would take new strength from it.

_If she can't break through, and we let her go too long, we lose both Cho and Hermione,_ the voices said to him.

_We owe Cho as much time as Hermione can stand,_ Harry replied to them.

_We know that Hermione fought us for seven hours yesterday before we both quit. And that we are stronger than Cho,_ his first said to him.

"Ron, is Hermione using the new defense you came up with right now?" Harry asked. Ron blinked in surprise at the question.

"No, Harry. She is not."

"Does that defense help you to stay in my mind, or only make it more difficult for me to stay in yours?"

"It only makes it more difficult for someone to attack us," Ron replied. Harry fell silent again.

_If she is staying in Cho's mind the same way she stays in ours, then she should have at least seven hours,_ Harry said to the voices.

_Do we give her any more time?_ his second asked.

_No_ Harry replied. He got no arguments from the voices. Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore and Healer Marchbanks, who was drinking a pepperupper potion.

"Hermione will need to be extracted after seven hours in Cho's mind, regardless of whether she is successful of not. Healer Marchbanks, along with the other Healers who had gathered round them, just stared at him. Professor Dumbledore surveyed him over his half-moon glasses.

"Very well then, Harry. She has six hours and forty-nine minutes left. Let us hope it is enough," he said quietly.

"So now we wait?" Harry asked.

"We will watch, in fifteen minute shifts. Two people each, in case you have made a mistake and Hermione is able to give us some indication that she needs to be helped before her time is up," Dumbledore replied gravely.

"What of the others who were injured?" Harry asked.

"We will discuss that later; neither Hermione nor Cho can afford to be disturbed by what they might or might not hear." Harry nodded at Dumbledore and moved behind Ron.

"I cut the time short. Cho is already gone; I won't lose them both by letting her stay too long," he whispered. Harry did not see Ron close his eyes.

"Thank you, Harry," he whispered in reply.

_Well, at least it's not black in here,_ Hermione's second remarked upon first entering Cho's mind.

_Quiet,_ Hermione snapped. _We only have so much time in here before they pull us out, and the longer it takes to find Cho, the harder it will be to bring her back._

_How do we bring her back when we find her?_ her third asked.

_Show her Neville,_ her second said. _From that time when we were hunting and she was sitting by the lake with his head in her lap._

_It's a start,_ Hermione replied. _Now help me find her._

Harry sat down in the chair in front of Hermione, his wand delicately balanced in his hand. They may have been on fifteen minute shifts, but he, Ron and Ginny never left. Ron had been standing behind Hermione, his hand on her back the whole time. He had not moved in five hours. Ginny was constantly whispering in Cho's ear telling her to come back, that she was safe. Harry had been staring at Hermione's face. She had twitched once an hour ago, and now her face was starting to show the first signs of the effort she was putting out.

Harry glanced up as the Healers changed shifts. Healer Marchbanks had moved behind him half an hour ago. He had not moved since. Dumbledore had had to go out in the hallway when Cho's mother arrived. Harry was surprised that he had not brought her back in with him. He was now standing in a corner with Professor McGonagall, quietly discussing something. His eyes however, never left Hermione's face. Harry moved his eyes back to Hermione.

"Come on, Mione," he said barely above a whisper. "You're running out of time." Healer Marchbanks leaned in close to Harry's ear.

"There are records of Healers who could do what your friend is doing, but none have lived for hundreds of years," he whispered quietly. "Is her mind as black as yours?"

"Yes," Harry whispered back to him.

"And she can penetrate into yours?"

"Not since it turned black two days ago."

"And can you penetrate into hers?"

"I don't know. I quit trying after seven hours yesterday." Even though he could not see him, Harry could feel the man's shock.

"You and she fought each other for seven hours yesterday and she has the strength to do it again today?"

"Yes."

"And your other friends? You said she was married, I assume that is him behind her.

"He is her husband. The woman whispering in Cho's ear is my wife. If you attempted to enter their minds, you would find them black also," Harry replied. Harry felt the Healer sit back in his chair again.

David Marchbank's mind reeled. He was an accomplished Healer, one of the greatest of his generation. He had been friends with Albus Dumbledore since they attended Hogwarts together, and had always thought that he would never see a more powerful sorcerer in his lifetime. He now looked at four in the same room who had the potential to exceed him.

Hermione was not really sure how long she had been in Cho's mind. Time became lost when you did this. She and Ginny had always timed how long each training session took, letting each other know afterwards how long the fight had lasted. And they had charts upstairs in their flat that tracked the progress of all four of them.

Hermione was just beginning to feel the strain of the attempt. She had dug deep into Cho's mind. The wall between them was weakening, and she had just brushed a very powerful, recent memory that she was now trying to latch onto.

_**"Come on, Cho. It's Hermione. I'm here to help you,"**_ she pushed her thought to Cho.

Cho did not know what had happened to her, only that she had been in complete agony from the effects of the Cruciatus curse one moment, and that the pain was gone the next. She did not think she was dead, but did not seem to be in her body.

Cho could not see, unable even to distinguish if it was light or dark. She could not feel or taste the saliva in her own mouth. In the deathly quiet, she should have been able to hear her heart beating.

People never notice that they smell themselves all day, the odor not really registering, until it is gone, and then the sense of loss is devastating. Cho had absolutely no sensory perception at all, and being without it was maddening.

Ron opened his eyes and looked at his watch. He moved around in front of Hermione, blocking the view the others had of her face. Hermione was biting her lip, screwing her face up in concentration. He studied her, comparing how she looked now to all the other times Harry had released her just before she collapsed. He turned to Professor Dumbledore.

"There are only fifteen minutes left, she can go longer," he said to him.

"She is your wife, Ronald," Dumbledore replied. Ron turned back to Hermione. Harry moved next to him.

"Ron, she has done enough," he whispered. Ron did not answer.

Hermione felt the turmoil beneath what was left of Cho's wall. She knew she had to be cautious. Cho could latch on to her like a drowning swimmer does to their rescuer. If she was not careful they would both drown.

Hermione separated her memories finding anything that she could remember about Cho that was happy, burying everything that was painful to her, or would be to Cho. Cho had to have a reason to connect to her feelings again, if she sensed any pain, Hermione knew the wall would go back up and she would most likely never be able to get through it again.

The healers started to move in to break the spell and extract Hermione from Cho's mind.

"Not yet," Ron said quietly. They stopped, looking for instruction from someone.

"Ron," Harry said quietly.

"Not yet," Ron repeated. David Marchbanks considered the situation. He could not be responsible for the death of both girls, but he had been in both Cho's and Harry's mind. Harry was much stronger, so much that he could hardly fathom it. And this girl, Hermione, could fight him for seven hours, without falling to him. Harry must have given her seven hours because he knew she would be safe.

_If her husband says she can fight longer we should trust that for now,_ the one voice that lived in David Marchbanks mind said to him.

"We will wait, let her stay," Healer Marchbanks said to the other Healers.

_We're ready,_ the voices said to Hermione. Hermione took a deep breath and reached out to the most powerful memory she could feel coming from Cho. She caught a flash of it and then let her memories flood into Cho.

Cho grasped at them pulling them into her mind. There was light coming from something, and then she heard a voice.

_**"HERMIONE!?"**_ she screamed.

"Her hand twitched," Ginny gasped. Healer Marchbanks whirled.

"Keep talking to her. Tell her to follow your voice," he commanded.

"Bring her back, Love," Ron whispered into Hermione's ear. Harry noticed the slightest hint of a smile play on Hermione's mouth.

_**"I'm here, Cho,"**_ Hermione called to her.

_**"WHERE?"**_ Cho's voice came back frantically to Hermione.

_**"I can't come any closer Cho. You have to come the rest of the way to me,"**_ Hermione replied.

_**"NO, IT WILL HURT!"**_ All that Cho could remember of connecting with where Hermione's voice was coming from was the pain of the Cruciatus curse.

_**"I promise you it will not hurt, Cho,"**_ Hermione answered.

_**"I don't believe you. You're trying to trick me, you're not Hermione. I won't let you hurt me anymore….And I will never tell you anything about Harry!"**_ Cho screamed at her.

_**"Harry is waiting to see you, Cho. He is here with me. All you have to do is come to me."**_ Hermione could hear Ginny's voice speaking in Cho's mind.

_**"Listen, Cho, Ginny is here too."**_ Cho did not respond for what seemed like a long time. Hermione felt her emotions moving closer to the surface.

_**"I don't trust you."**_ Cho's voice rang in the void.

_**"I won't hurt you, Cho,"**_ Hermione replied, and then she pushed her memory of Cho and Neville by the lake to Cho.

_**"How do you know that?"**_ Cho asked guardedly. Hermione pushed her memories of the first time she assumed her animagus form to Cho. 

_**"Ron and I were playing in the woods that day too,"**_ Hermione said quietly. It was quiet for a long time again.

_**"You and Ron are the lions that were living in the woods?"**_ Cho asked cautiously. Hermione could feel her moving closer still.

_**"Yes."**_

_**"I can hear Ginny."**_

_**"She is waiting for you to wake up,"**_ Hermione replied.

_**"Where am I? I don't want to hurt anymore. I can't take it,"**_ Cho whispered to her.

_**"You are in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, Cho,"**_

"She doesn't appear to be straining anymore," Harry said quietly as he studied Hermione's face.

"No," Ron agreed. "She looks like she does when she and I want to connect," he added a moment later.

"How often do you and she willingly connect?" Healer Marchbanks asked quietly.

"At least once a day, usually twice," Ron replied, not looking away from Hermione.

"I would say then that she has connected with Cho, and she is at least willingly talking with Hermione. If your wife starts to appear stressed again, things will deteriorate quickly. I would advise you to let us cut the connection immediately if that happens."

"You don't know my wife. I don't need Harry to tell me how long she can fight. I can tell by the look on her face when she has had enough. I have seen it dozens of times in the last six weeks. I believe we have hours, maybe even days yet if we need them," Ron replied.

"Ron, I don't want to lose both of them," Harry said.

"What would Ginny do to you if you pulled her out too soon?" Ron snapped at him. Harry blinked; his mouth flapped a moment before he recovered.

"Ok, Ron," he replied in defeat.

_**"If I'm in the hospital wing, then I'm hurt. It will hurt if I come to you,"**_ Cho said, her voice on the edge of panic.

_**"Cho, please you must trust me. The Death Eaters are gone. There might be a little pain but it will get better."**_

_**"No! You come with me; we can stay here, where it doesn't hurt."**_

_Arrghhh. This is like arguing with a two year old,_ the voices screamed at Hermione.

_Unless you have something helpful to say keep quiet,_ Hermione snapped at them.

_**"I can't come with you, Cho."**_

_**"Why not!?"**_

_**"Because I'll die, Cho,"**_ Hermione replied.

_**"I don't believe you,"**_ Cho said, her voice quivering.

_**"Cho, you must believe me. If you do not come with me, I will die and no one else will ever come to you again."**_

It was quiet for a long time. Hermione might have thought Cho had left if she could not still sense her just beyond the thin white wall that was separating who she was from actually being alive now.

_**"Cho, we're all waiting for you. You can hear Ginny, Harry is here, Ron, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall."**_

_**"Where is Neville?"**_

Hermione flinched, this was going to be the final hurdle, and she did not have the answer.

_**"He is here, but I do not know if he is ok,"**_ Hermione replied.

_**"What about Luna, and Neville's grandmother, and Bridgette?"**_

_**"They are here too."**_

_**"And?"**_

_**"I don't know about Luna or Neville's grandmother….Bridgette is dead, Cho," **_Hermione replied. Cho did not reply right away, but Hermione felt a new surge of emotion run through her, white hot anger.

_**"Hermione would never lie about something like that,"**_ Cho whispered.  
_**"Trust me, Cho."**_ Hermione felt the last of the wall go down between herself and Cho. She could see Cho standing in front of her.

_**"It doesn't hurt, Hermione."**_

_**"I'm happy, Cho,"**_ Hermione said. She then pushed Cho out of her mind and pulled herself away.

Hermione opened her eyes; she quickly kissed Ron on the forehead and moved past him.  
Cho opened her eyes to see Hermione moving towards her.

"Hermione?" she whispered as she enveloped her in her arms.

"I told you we we're waiting for you."

"Thank you, Hermione," Cho gasped before breaking down and sobbing on Hermione's shoulder. A second later Cho noticed Ginny and pulled her close also. Harry and Ron moved within range of Cho and she clutched them to her as well.

"Does anyone know if Neville is ok?" Cho asked timidly after a few minutes.

"He is sleeping," Professor Dumbledore replied kindly, as he laid his hand on her shoulder. "He will make a full recovery," he added a moment later. Cho let her breath out in relief.

"I already know about Bridg…." Cho choked on her name. "The others, what about them?" she whispered. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looked at Professor Dumbledore; they did not know the answer either.

Harry was not alone in thinking that he did not want to know. There were five beds with curtains around them. Only two of them had had Healers moving in and out of them all day, one was Cho's. The other, he, Ron, and Ginny had all seen Neville in it. Professor Dumbledore closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Harry did not need to hear the answer to know what it was.

"Luna and Neville's grandmother are dead," Professor Dumbledore said quietly. Harry's mind reeled. Even not looking at Ginny, their connection had grown so strong that he could feel her mind doing the same. They did not think it possible for this day to get any worse. They were both very wrong.

The doors to the hospital opened and he learned why Cho's mother had not been brought into the room while Hermione had been in her mind. She had a bandage over one eye, and her arm was in a sling. Harry found himself wondering where Cho's father was, and then not wanting to know the answer.  
Harry and the others moved to the side to let Cho's mother get close to her daughter.

"Baby you're alright?" her mother asked.

"I'm alive, Mum," Cho replied, flinching at the tightness of her mother's embrace. Her mother kissed her cheek.

"I'll take it baby," she whispered to her.

"Mum, you're hurt?" Cho said quietly.

"I'll be fine sweatheart," her mother replied quickly. "Rest now; close your eyes and sleep." Harry groaned inwardly and tried to move discreetly away from the bed. He did not like the way Cho's mother was avoiding answering Cho's question.

"Where is Dad, Mum?" Cho whispered.

"Sleep baby, you need to rest."

"NO!...I need to know where dad is," Cho replied, her voice trailing away as her mother cast her eyes to the floor.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said forcing himself to look away from Cho. Professor Dumbledore turned to him. "How many other attacks occurred this morning?"

Professor Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed. He did not know where his strength was coming from this day. This was his third war. In the other two he had been the leader also, but he had fought with adults. This war he fought with four children as his weapon. Other children had flocked to these four and they were all now paying the price. Professor Dumbledore took a deep breath, and mustered what little resolve he had left this day.

"All houses of the DA members were attacked this morning, Harry," he answered. Dumbledore surprised himself at the strength in his voice.

"And?" Ginny asked her voice cold as ice.

"There are a number of other injuries and I believe four more deaths. The Minister and I will be speaking shortly and she will make a statement to the press after that.

"Who is dead?" Ron asked quietly. Dumbledore shook his head, not answering the question. Cho had watched this exchange of questions with growing terror in her heart. The Cruciatus curse did not compare to the fear she felt now.

"Mum, where is dad?" Cho whispered, her body beginning to shake.

"I'm sorry, baby," her mother replied as she took Cho in her arms. "I tried, but he made a portkey and shoved it into my hands," she whispered. "He sent me to find you." Cho could not reply. Her body shook as she started sobbing again. She reached towards Hermione trying to get her to come close enough for her to hang on to. Hermione and the others moved in and all of them held her until she cried herself to sleep.

Hermione stood up and looked around the room. Her eyes settled on Dumbledore and Healer Marchbanks.

"Headmaster, Healer Marchbanks, are there any others like Cho that I might be able to help?" she asked. Healer Marchbanks felt his stomach lurch.

"Even if there are, I cannot allow it. You have done too much already," he replied. Ron saw his wife's eyes flash in defiance.

"Headmaster, you will bring any that I might help. I am going to rest until they get here," Hermione replied ignoring the Healer. She then walked over and crawled into one of the empty hospital beds.

"Albus, you cannot allow this," Healer Marchbanks said turning to him in exasperation. "She must be exhausted."

"What would you do in her position David?"

"I….Well….Fine! She may help them, but she will enter their minds and be removed after one minute to tell us if she even thinks it is possible. She may then reenter and try to help if she thinks she can," the Healer replied angrily.

"I am sure that Hermione will find those terms acceptable," Professor Dumbledore replied. He then turned to Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"I must go meet with the Minister. I assume you three will be staying here?" Harry considered for a moment.

"I'm coming with you," he replied.

"Harry, the Minister has great respect for you, but unless you are ready to tell her everything, she will not allow you in the meeting."

"Harry, I do not wish for you to do that," Ginny said quietly.

"Stay with your friends, Harry. I will tell you anything you ask when I speak with the four of you later," Professor Dumbledore urged him.

"Please, Husband?" Ginny asked, placing her hand on his face. "Too many people know too much already." Harry looked at Ginny. He could see the fear in her eyes.

"As you wish," he said to her.

"David, take your Healers and go to your hospital. Bring any that Hermione might help." The Healer nodded to him.

"We will return shortly," he replied picking up a portkey and holding it out to the others. After they had gone Dumbledore turned to Professor Lupin.

"Remus, you are not to let any of them out of your sight."

"Yes, Headmaster," he replied.

_**"You three,"**_ Professor Dumbledore's voice came into Harry, Ron and Ginny's minds, _**"you now know the reason I ask you to not go help anyone. I beg you to remember your importance and realize that you might need to sacrifice someone in order to save the world."**_

"We will not leave," Ginny answered him out loud.

"Thank you," Professor Dumbledore replied and then he left the hospital.

Harry, Ron and Ginny had quit believing the day could not get worse. It wasn't even one day anymore, as it had started over twenty-four hours ago around 11:00 am July 31st, Harry's birthday. And it was now noon on August 1st. The healers had brought five members of the DA with them. Based on the strength of the defense in each mind, Hermione had started with the weakest and was moving to the more difficult cases. Alicia Spinet, Angelina Johnson, and Susan Bones had taken her about three hours each. Hermione was now trying to help Fred Weasley. George Weasley lay in the next bed, his eyes void of life, waiting for Hermione to help him if she could.

Hermione had assured everyone that none of the five were as bad as Cho had been, but the total of what she had been doing was showing before she even started to help Fred. Harry estimated that Hermione had been awake all but one of the last twenty-four hours. It had taken Hermione close to nine hours to save Cho, add nine more hours spent fighting to save Alicia, Angelina, and Susan, and now she was approaching five hours with Fred.

_Twenty three of the last twenty four hours spent in the mind of a person who does not want her there,_ the voices said in awe to Harry.

Harry did not reply. He did not want to think about what was going to happen if Hermione did not have the strength to help his older brothers.

Harry watched Hermione intently. He knew the look on her face, had seen it a number of times; if she was fighting Ron or Ginny she had maybe an hour left. He found himself mentally letting George go.

"There it is again," Ginny whispered to him, hope only just daring to enter her voice. Harry didn't know how Ron or Ginny were doing this. Neither one had shed a single tear over their brothers' condition. They had not tried to argue with the Healers when the order was determined for who Hermione would help first. Harry had not either, but he was unoffically adopted, he was sure they both had to be even more dead inside than he was.

Harry continued to watch Hermione. Each time she had managed to save someone, her mouth had exhibited the slightest hint of a smile anywhere from ten minutes to an hour before the injured person had woken up. The smile was back.

"Talk to him, Gin," Harry said quietly without taking his eyes off of Hermione. Her face had relaxed again, the only strain she was showing was from the effort she had put out, not from what she was doing now. It looked like at least one of the twins was going to make it.

"Hermione?" Harry turned to see Fred with his eyes open, confused but awake. Hermione sank to her knees on the floor.

"I'm ok, Love, just tired," Hermione reassured Ron as he caught her.

"Will you settle for me you, Prat?" Ginny said wrapping her arms around Fred.

"Ginny, Harry?" Fred said registering the two of them. "Hermione said Alicia and Angelina are ok?"

"Yes, they're ok," Harry replied taking his hand.

"And George?" he whispered.

"We don't know, Fred," Ginny replied as the Healers moved to take Fred to the main hospital wing. "You have to rest now, Fred. Hermione might be able to help him. Mum and Dad are waiting for you."

"Ginny, where is Hermione?" Fred asked urgently as his bed floated towards the door.

"I'm right here, Fred." Ron had helped Hermione to her feet again and she quickly walked over to his bed and took his hand. Fred grasped her hand tightly in his.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said.

"Go rest," Hermione replied to him. The doors closed behind Fred as the Healer moved him out of the room. Hermione turned around and walked to George's bed; she took her hand and opened his eyes.

"Mione, you don't have much left," Ginny said as she came up from behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist. Hermione raised her wand at George.

_"Legilimens!"_ she said firmly. Harry saw her face contort almost immediately. The healers moved in ready to break the spell.

"Not yet," Ron told them. "She has hours left." They eyed him skeptically.

"Son, I believe you when you say she has time left, but don't make a mistake because she is trying to help your brother," Healer Marchbanks said firmly from behind Ron.

"You don't have to worry. I won't lose both of them," Ron replied. Healer Marchbanks looked at the other Healers and shook his head at them.

"Wait for him to tell you," he said. Harry settled in behind Hermione his hand on her back. Ron stood in front of her, watching her face. Ginny moved to George's bed and began to whisper in his ear as she had done with Cho.

_I don't care what Hermione says about it being useless until he starts talking,_ her second said.

_Neither do I,_ Ginny replied. _Besides, there is nothing else to do,_she added. The voices did not answer.

Almost six hours later she was still doing it. Ginny was exhausted; so was everyone in the room. They all took their strength from the sixteen year old girl with the bushy brown hair who was not ready to quit. If she still had the strength to fight then they could also.

Harry moved in front of Hermione next to Ron. They stood shoulder to shoulder, each lightly touching one of her hands. They both had their wands out and ready in their other hand. Harry did not know how fast George was draining energy from Hermione. But her body language told him she was near finished, if she was fighting Ginny it would be over in less than ten minutes.

Hermione sank slowly to her knees. Ron and Harry went with her. The healers moved in again.

"We have time," Ron said to them.

"Son, please," Healer Marchbanks said.

"This always happens to her, we have a little more time," Ron replied. The Healers looked at each other trying to decide.

"Break it," Healer Marchbanks told them.

_"Finete incantanum!"_ the three Healers said together. Their wands however were dead.

"What in the name of Merlin?" they said together looking at their wands in surprise.

_"Accio Wands!"_ Harry summoned the Healers wands from their hands. "Sorry, but you better sit down or I will put you in a binding spell," he said to them.

"You're going to kill them both," the youngest healer hissed at Harry.

"Just wait, we have been doing this together for weeks now. Trust us to know when to pull her out," Harry told them. The three Healers glared at him but had no choice.

"It is your conscience," Healer Marchbanks finally replied turning away from them. Harry didn't bother to tell him that all of the past thirty hours were already there. His conscience would not be clear until Voldemort was dead. Even then he was not sure he would be free. 

_There it is,_ Harry's second said ten minutes later.

"She's talking to him," Ron said quietly. Healer Marchbanks moved back behind Harry and Ron.

"Her record is perfect so far when she gets to this point," he commented. "Still, I would advise you to cut the connection if she starts to stress again."

"This time I will listen to you," Ron replied.

"Hermione?" Harry and the three Healers whirled to look at George.

"Love?" Hermione whispered.

"I'm here, Mione." Ron replied pulling her to him

"Did I get him?"

"Yes, Mione," Ron said picking her up off of the floor.

"Thank you God," Ginny gasped grabbing hold of George and finally breaking down in tears on his chest.

"Ginny... Where is Hermione?" George asked urgently.

"She's ok, George," Harry said quietly as he hugged him.

"I need to see her," George said desperately.

"I'm here, George," Hermione said clinging to Ron for support. Alarm spread on George's face at her appearance.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be, George. I just need to rest. So do you," Hermione replied taking his hand.

"Thank you, Hermione," George said collapsing back on the bed.

"You're welcome, George." The Healers moved in to take George out to the main hospital.

"Love?"

"Yes, Mione?"

"Please take me to bed." Ron picked Hermione up and headed for the door.

"This way, Ronald," Professor Dumbledore stopped him. "You will be able to get to your flat without going through the mob out there."

"Thank you, sir," Ron replied turning to follow him. Harry and Ginny followed also.

"I will come see you in eight hours," Professor Dumbledore said to them when they reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"Yes sir," Harry, Ron and Ginny replied. Hermione was already sleeping in Ron's arms.


End file.
